The Reluctant Lion Heart
by kiara8921
Summary: Follows the life of the daughter of a sweet butt as she worms her way into Happy's heart. He takes on a pseudo father role when he finds out her mother is using drugs. Snippets from her life growing up, and an exploration into the life of the sweet butts vs. old ladies. No, Happy does not swoop in and adopt her, but keeps an eye on her.
1. Chapter 1

_So this story is an accumulation of a few different ideas. I have been wanting to write a story about the sweet butts and hang around's, but every time I formed any kind of story arc I ended up hating the main character for being either pathetic, or just a slut. I have also been struggling with my longer story, 'The Lies That Bind' (not posted yet) because it was way too choppy, so I went back and added some scenes and now it feels like there is too much filler. Then a few weekends ago I spent time with my best friend and her absolutely adorable daughter and the thought popped into my head, how would Happy react to this cute little girl? Thus I settled on this, it's a flowing story, but just long peaks into Gabby's life, with no filler between the major events. Hopefully it will break me out of the funk I'm in with my other story._

_I'm heading each chapter with the year and Gabby's age because it's all snap shots of her life._

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Disclaimer: Do not own, not for profit

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1995

Age 3

Happy took one last look around the small dorm he had been given and then slammed the door. He missed his apartment in Tacoma, his clean, nearly sterile apartment, with nice leather furniture, a big screen TV and a mattress to die for, or in his case kill for. He entered the main clubhouse and took stock of his options. A decent enough looking blond had yet to be scooped up by any of his brothers, she was bringing shots to a few of the other women who were more than a little busy with their partners for the evening. He didn't say a word, just snagged her by the elbow, throwing back the last shot in her hand and walked her outside.

A lot of Sons took sweet butts home with them, but home was a good 11 hours away for Happy, so hers would have to do. He walked her to his bike, the woman knowing better than to ask questions and got on, putting on the helmet he handed her. "Address" He said, not feeling the need for any sort of explanation. She quickly rattled off the street address and the relatively simple directions and they took off, leaving the party wearing down behind them.

Happy took a quick look at the house as he was led through the dark hallway, pausing at the living room. He eyed the couch for about 20 seconds before once again grabbing the sweet butts elbow and pinning her against it. She stripped quickly as did he and he bent her over the back of the couch, not caring if she was comfortable. This first hit was for him, rough fast and violent. If the bitch was lucky, and tight, he would stay for more, maybe even get a little more gentle as he wore out.

He woke in her bed, vaguely remembering the second round, starting in the hall and ending on top her bedroom dresser. He focused in on the sound that must have disturbed his slumber. Definitely a creek in the hallway. He looked to the sweet butt, Emily she had said her name was, not that he had used it, but the bitch didn't seem to be disturbed. He debated just leaving, but he also knew he could go another few rounds, and get a decent enough breakfast from this chick who would be elated at waking up with him still in her bed. He was just about to drift back to sleep when the distinct clicking of a door had him jerk upright.

"Just my kid" Emily said from next to him, pulling him down to her side. When she didn't feel him relax she got up and straddled him, "Don't worry, she won't come in here." Emily assured him and then scooted down onto his legs to lavish some attention to his half hard cock; a little midnight head would surely keep this biker from bolting.

Happy got up the next morning, the haze of whiskey and too much road finally cleared from his mind, and eyed the crow eater he had settled for. She wasn't too bad, all things considered. However she was also still sound asleep, probably due to the shots she had consumed previous to him dragging her away. He got up and stumbled into her small bathroom. Not as clean as he liked, but better than the dorms. He pissed and rinsed off in the shower, pulling his jeans back on to stumble out and find her coffee maker.

He back tracked his way through the house, eyeing his cut neatly laid out on the back of the couch. He left it there, but retrieved his prepay, checking for messages. He made it to the kitchen and froze as he looked up. A very young girl, 3, maybe 4, was climbing up the back of a chair to reach something out of a cupboard. Happy quickly replayed last night before remembering the creek in the hall and the door clicking and Emily's comment about having a kid. He was about to back out of the kitchen, not wanting to deal with a startled kid so early in the morning, when the chair the young thing had climbed up started to teeter.

Before his brain registered what he was doing he took the long strides around the table and had the young thing around the waist as the chair slipped down to the floor with a clank. She looked up at him with huge wet eyes and he was half tempted to cover her mouth with his large rough hand to avoid an ear piercing cry when she sniffled once and whispered "thank you" in a slightly terrified tone.

He nodded once and set her on the floor. He eyed the table where fruit loops and milk were sitting and then the cupboard she had been trying so hard to reach and snagged a bowl off the top shelf while she righted the chair that had fallen. He set it down on the table for her and she went about her business of grabbing a spoon and making her breakfast without further acknowledgment of him.

He looked down at himself and fastened his jeans, wishing he would have bothered with a shirt before coming out here and then looked around for the coffee maker, grabbing a mug out of the same cupboard as the bowls. He opened two more cupboards in his search for coffee grounds and sighed heavily as he came up empty.

"Next to the stove." Came a quiet slightly high pitched hint from the girl following the maze on the back of the cereal box with her finger. He glanced at her and then opened the porcelain canister next to the stove relieved to find it full of coffee grounds.

He chose to retrieve his clothes as the coffee brewed, reentering the kitchen just as the coffee stopped dripping and filled up his mug. He looked up as the chair lightly scraped the floor and watched the girl put the cereal and milk away and cautiously walk by him, going up on her tip toes to set the empty bowl and spoon in the sink. She gave him a single cautious look and then tugged on his cut to make him look down.

"I'm Gabby." She said simply.

He looked down and gave her a half smirk, "I'm Happy." He tried to keep the morning growl out of his voice.

"Thank you for being nice to me Happy." She said, and then skipped off, bounding up the stair case just as her mother walked into the kitchen.

"Mmmmm, coffee…" She came and wrapped her arms around his waist.

"Kid told me where it was."

Emily let out a resigned sigh. "She bother you?" Her tone changed and Happy suddenly got a feeling in his gut that he should have kept his mouth shut.

"No." Emily's demeanor once again changed back to morning seductress.

"You want eggs baby?"

"No. Gotta go." He handed her the half full mug of coffee and walked out the side door. Checking himself and his pockets to make sure he hadn't forgotten anything. He glanced back at the house, now studying it in the daylight; there was a small bike with training wheels on the front porch and with a glance up to the second floor, he spotted a window with closed butterfly curtains, glowing from a light on in the room.

He got on his bike and tried to shake his head clear, he couldn't get that kids comment out of his head. She thanked him for catching her, but he hadn't been all that nice to her. He basically ignored her, why would she think that was him being nice?

Happy sat at the bar listening to his brothers talk about their escapades at the party the previous night. Tig had apparently gotten so rough with one of the girls she started screaming for help and Bobby and Piney had burst into the room guns drawn to rescue her.

"You interrupted a beautiful fucking moment man," Tig pointed at Bobby.

"Leave the rough shit for Emily Tig." Clay warned. Happy suddenly took more interest in the conversation.

"Emily's old news." Tig brushed the comment off.

"Ah, come on Tig, she used to be one of your favorites." Bobby teased him.

"I just can't a fuck a bitch properly after I meet their kid. That's what ruined my first god damn marriage. A whore is a whore….till she's a mom. Then she's just a mom." Tig held up his hands to emphasis his point.


	2. Chapter 2

Disclaimer: Do not own, not for profit

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1997

Age 5

Happy woke with a horrible hang over. He rolled over in the surprisingly comfortable bed to find a blond who had seen better days. He was about to shove her out of bed when he opened his eyes up another fraction and realized why he was so comfortable. He wasn't in a dorm, he was in a bedroom, Emily's bedroom. The sweet butt with the kid. He remembered leaving the party with her, he remembered wondering where the kid was as Emily served him more shots in bed between rounds.

He gave the whore a shove but she wasn't moving. He crawled out of bed and into the bathroom, leaving the lights off and forcing what was left of the liquor out of his stomach into the toilet. He washed up slowly, trying not to move his head unless necessary and then went about collecting his clothes. When he was sure he had everything he left the bedroom, hoping to sneak out and get back to the club house for Bobby's coffee. He stopped momentarily in the doorway of the living room; there was a cartoon playing on the screen, the volume so low it might as well be muted, but no child in sight.

He moved on to the front door and repressed a groan; rain was coming down in solid sheets, nearly sideways. There was no way he could ride back to the club house in that shit. He wiped a hand over his face and headed back inside, going right to the kitchen and starting coffee. If he had to stay here and wait out the weather he was gonna need caffeine.

As the bitter liquid worked its magic on his head he found himself drifting back to the living room. He stayed in the doorway half watching the unfamiliar cartoon when he heard a quit giggle. He paused his movements mid sip and leaned over the couch, finally catching a glimpse of 2 small bare feet swinging in the air. He took another step forward and the girl was finally revealed. She was older now, Happy tried to do the math in his head; he hadn't seen her since the first time he met her, and that had been years ago. She had to be about 5 now.

She was laid out on the floor on her stomach, knees bent, legs swinging in the air. She was in shorts and a t shirt, her dark wavy hair in a lopsided ponytail that she either must have done herself or slept in seeing as her mother had yet to emerge from her room. She was splitting her attention between the cartoon and a coloring book laid out in front of her. She was either ignoring the looming biker staring at her, or had yet to notice him. He watched her carefully; she was coloring a detailed picture and was doing a pretty good job of staying in the lines. He smirked in amusement as she would pull a crayon out of the box, examine it, put it back, and then pull out a different shade. He looked around the rest of the room, something struck him as odd. Mostly the fact that if the girl hadn't been lying in front of him he would have no idea she lived there. There were no toys, no pictures, no evidence what so ever of her being there. Happy didn't know any kid who picked up their toys that well.

She finally turned to look at him when he walked around and sat on the couch, resting his feet on the coffee table. She swallowed nervously and got up, clutching her coloring book and box of crayons to her chest; she set the tv remote gently down next to him and walked the long way around the couch, and his feet, out of the living room and bounded up the stairs. Happy sighed. He hadn't meant to scare her away, he was the guest after all; this was her house.

He kept the cartoons on and turned the volume up a few notches, thinking she might come back in, but she never did. When the show she had been watching ended he flipped through the stations till he found the news and finished off his coffee. As he was debating the worth of getting up for another refill when a fresh mug was handed to him by last night's conquest.

"I can make you breakfast if you want." She leaned over the back of the couch and massaged his shoulders, running her hands down his chest. Happy simply grunted in reply, it's not like he was gonna leave if she didn't, he fucking couldn't.

"Mom?" A quiet tentative voice asked from around the corner and Happy strained his head to see the girl just barely peeking into the room.

Emily sighed heavily, "go outside and play." She said, dismissing her daughter.

"But, it's rain-" the young girl started.

"Outside Gabby." Her mother demanded. Happy listened to the girl scamper away and the back screen door bang closed before he suddenly had the croweater in his lap.

"It's raining." He said both to explain his continued presence and to get the woman to let her daughter back inside.

"Not a good day for a Harley rider… don't worry baby, I can keep you entertained." She started to run her hands up his shirt and Happy stopped her. Her attitude with her daughter was putting him off, whether or not he liked kids; he never treated them like shit. That little girl hadn't done anything wrong.

"How about that breakfast?" He shoved her off his lap and she pouted momentarily before swaying her hips toward the kitchen.

"Eggs or French toast?" She called, trying to sound like a fucking Suzie homemaker.

"Both" Happy growled, wanting to keep her in the kitchen longer. A while later as his meal was brought to him along with fresh coffee he wondered if the girl had gotten any breakfast, and couldn't help but wonder if she was still out in the rain or if she perhaps had found a friend to take her in.

Happy glanced out the living room window. It had been 7 hours and the rain was still coming down in sheets. He was bored out of his fucking mind. He'd screwed the blond twice more just for something to do and was channel surfing through her cable. He flipped to the same cartoon the kid had been watching this morning, and he took another long look out the window. She wasn't just walking around in the rain, right? She must have a neighbor that watches her, or friends at least, right?

He clicked off the tv and got up, he mine as well get his dick sucked one last time before he called TM and had them come pick up him and his bike. He hadn't seen the crow eater since their last round and headed back to the bed room.

"Shit" was the only thing he could think to say when he opened the door. The whore was sprawled out on the bed, belt still fastened tightly around her arm, a needle lying next to her out stretched hand. He rushed over to the bed and checked for a pulse, relieved to find it strong and steady. He snapped the needle and threw it in the trash and removed the belt from her arm, whipping it across the room. What the hell was he supposed to do now? She was alive, but strung the fuck out. He whipped a hand over his face and paced the room a few times before picking up the bedside lamp and throwing it into a wall, getting a small bit of comfort from the crash. He didn't care that it was her stuff he was destroying; Happy hated drugs. They consumed his father till his death and financial ruined his mother in the meantime. He had watched drugs ruin the lives of so many of his friends, not to mention all the hang around's and sweet butts that couldn't get through a party without a bump.

And the kid, Gabby; that was the real reason he was so fucking upset. That little girl was being raised by a single mom who shot up and cared more about blowing bikers then her own kid. He suddenly found himself torn. He wanted nothing to do with this slut anymore, but Gabby could come home at any moment, and he doubted a little kid like that would know what to do with a strung out mother. He threw another knick knack at the wall. That kid wasn't his, of that he was fucking certain, she had to be at least 5, she would have been conceived and born for that matter while Happy was doing a 3 year stretch at Washington State Penn.

He didn't know what the fuck to do with a kid. He had no illusions about taking her back to Tacoma with him or helping her mom get clean and be one big happy family, but at the same time the little bit of a soul he had left in him couldn't just walk away and leave that child to live like this. He thought through his options, forced rehab, or maybe just let Gemma know, Gemma had kids, she certainly wouldn't put up with a mother doing this, but what would Gemma do? Maybe find her dad? Whoever the hell he was he had to be better than some crank whore. He threw one more thing for good measure before leaving the bedroom and slamming the door. He doubted that slut even knew who the father of her kid was. It was probably a Son, and no Son was actually going to raise the bastard child of a sweet butt, the best any of them would do is fork over some cash.

Happy sat down at the kitchen table to wait for the girl to come home. He remembered his own childhood, his mother had tried so hard to protect him from what his father was doing. But there were always moments, when no one showed up to take him home from school, or his small piggy bank got emptied while he was out playing. He remembered coming home and finding his father passed out on the couch, the candle he used for his crank still burning. He remembered his mother covering for his father when he wouldn't come home for days at a time. And those were the early years, before he lost his job after he couldn't pass a drug test, before he started scrapping for money, and then started to pawn stuff from the house. He remembered his mother working two jobs, and them still going hungry, and eventually getting evicted.

The side door creaked and Happy turned his head and caught the girl, Gabby, slowly sneaking back into the house. She was completely soaked. She saw him and started to back out of the house again. Happy got up from his chair slowly, he didn't want the girl to get started and run off.

"Hey sweet heart" he held the screen door open as she was still standing half in and half out of the house, and crouched down to get to eye level with her. She looked at him and he saw her lip trembling, he wasn't sure if she was scared or cold or maybe both. He tried a different tactic.

"You cold?" She nodded her head. "Come on, come inside." He reached out for her and she scooted forward a step.

"Where's my mom?" She asked quietly, she wasn't supposed to be alone with her mother's 'friends' it was the first rule, if she saw one of them she was supposed to leave the room. Usually they would tell her to leave, to beat it or scram or go play… This man hadn't yelled at her this morning, but her mother had, and if her mother caught her coming back inside while he was still here she would get slapped.

"Your mom is sleeping, she doesn't feel good." Gabby nodded her head. Her mother quite often said she didn't feel good. When that happened Gabby either had to leave the house or leave her alone and not make any noise. "Come on sweet heart, let's get you warm and dry okay? And then I'll make you something to eat." She took one more hesitant step forward and Happy swooped her up in his arm before she could change her mind. She fell naturally against his chest sitting on his forearm, one arm wrapping behind him around his neck. Happy carried her up the stairs where he knew her room to be; trying not to be bothered by how natural it felt to carry her like that.

There were 3 doors up stairs, one open revealing a bathroom, one closed, and one slightly ajar. He carried her into the bathroom. "You take showers on your own?" He asked, setting her down on the rug. He really didn't feel comfortable stripping someone else's kid, especially a little girl. She simply nodded her head. Happy stood up from his squatting position and turned on the water, making sure it wouldn't burn the girl.

"When you're done and dressed come down stairs and I'll get you something to eat, okay?" Once again Gabby nodded her head but didn't speak. Happy sighed and pulled the door closed. He peaked in the room with the open door and found her room. The walls were plain white. There was a twin bed with cartoon sheets and a light blanket, and a single small cheap dresser. A stack of coloring books and a box of crayons were on top the dresser, and that was it. No decorations, no toys. He stepped out and opened the last door, hoping and praying that it was a play room filled with toys, but no. A few boxes, a dusty treadmill, nothing kid related.

He bounded down the stairs and started rummaging through the fridge and pantry. There weren't a whole lot of options. He wanted to make her something hot since it was now obvious she had been out in the rain all day. She had probably finally come home because bikers never stayed much past breakfast, least of all near dinner time. He pulled out a few ingredients and scrubbed a pan clean before he started cooking, he finished as Gabby came down the stairs and nodded his head to a chair set with an empty plate and a glass of milk. He slid a grilled cheese sandwich onto the plate and cut it in half diagonally.

"Again?" She asked quietly, almost hopefully and Happy turned back to the table, thinking she didn't want to eat grilled cheese again. He looked at her, she was eyeing the sandwich. He took a chance and picked up the knife again, cutting the sandwich into fourths. She smiled happily and picked up one of the small triangles biting off the very tip. Happy smirked and served up his own sandwich, taking the seat next to her. They ate in silence, the only sound in the room was the light thump of Gabby swinging her legs against her chair. That struck Happy as disconcerting; he was sitting here with a kid, someone else's kid, a kid so young her feet didn't touch the floor.

"Your dad don't live with you?" Happy finally broached the subject when they both finished eating. Gabby wiped her hands on her napkin and shook her head taking a big gulp of milk. Happy watched her lick the milk off her upper lip and smirked again. He couldn't seem to stop smiling when he was around her, she was a cute fucking kid. "Do you see him a lot, does he visit?" She shook her head again. "Gabby, sweet heart, do you ever see your dad?"

"No." She picked up her glass again with both hands. "I don't know who he is." She finished the milk in her glass with one last gulp and set it back down. "Thank you."

Happy sighed, plan A; get daddy involved, wasn't gonna happen. "You're welcome sweet heart, you full?" She nodded her head and he got up and washed their plates. "Where did you go today?"

Gabby continued to swing her feet under the table. "To the park." Happy turned off the facet and turned to face her.

"Couldn't go to family? Grandparent, neighbor, friend?" Plan B looked like it was tanking as well.

"No…. the park has a tower, keeps most of the rain away." Happy wiped a hand over his face, his interrogation techniques involved blow torches and hammers, none of which were an option on this little girl.

"Was there no one close enough you could walk too?" He pulled the chair a little closer to her and sat back down. Gabby shrugged.

"Sweet heart, is there anyone besides your mom that helps take care of you? Watches you, visits, anything, anyone?"

"We have dinner at aunt Gemma's sometimes. With the other guys like you. And guys come here, but I'm not supposed to talk to them, she sends me away." Her legs stopped swinging and she looked down at her hands on the table. "I didn't think you'd still be here." She added quietly, like she was waiting to get yelled at.

Happy sighed again, he had no idea what to do now.

Happy didn't hear a word of the cartoon playing on the tv. He was going through his options once again. No father, no family, he could turn the situation over to the club, he could call social services, or he could leave things the way they were and hope for the best.

Gabby was sound asleep on the couch next to him, her head resting on the arm rest, her legs outstretched her feet just barely touching his leg. Her foot twitched in her sleep and he brought his hand down to gently rest on it.

He finally got up and checked on Emily, she had yet to come too. He sighed deeply and walked back out to the living room. "Hey sweet heart, bed time." He swiped a hand over Gabby's hair and she stirred slightly but didn't wake. Happy scooped her up again in his arms, hoping she wouldn't wake up and get scared, and carried her up the stairs to her room. She slept through him tucking her in and he stood in the door a moment. He had no way of knowing how long her mother had been shooting up, but Gabby had made it this far, and seemed okay. The more he thought about it, he just couldn't put that little thing in foster care, and getting the club involved might not be for the best. If Emily got drummed out for the drugs there would be no one around at all for Gabby. At least as a sweet butt the club would know if something serious happened. If she stopped coming around someone would be by to check on her.

Happy made his way back to Emily's house the next morning, he had contemplated staying there, but had gotten a call on his prepay. Emily was still in bed, she had obviously gotten up at some point, the things he had broken were swept into a pile by the garbage. She was under the covers now, rather than sprawled on top of them where she had passed out and where he had been more than willing to leave her. He took a quick tour of the house, both up and down stairs, and came up missing one little girl. He checked the yard but it was empty.

He left the house on his bike and drove around till he saw a park with a plastic castle-like tower. He got several disapproving looks from mothers when he pulled into the parking lot and got off his bike. Those looks turned to shock when Gabby jumped off her swing and ran straight to Happy, jumping into his outstretched arms.

"Happy! You came back." She seems genuinely surprised.

"Of course I did sweet heart. I told you I would." She squeezed his neck tightly and for just a second he reconsidered throwing her on his bike and taking her back to Tacoma with him. He took a deep breath and shoved that out of his mind. He squatted down and set Gabby back on her feet.

"I gotta go back home. But I'm gonna come back and visit you as soon as I can, okay?" He smoothed her hair down as she nodded her head. "Here, this is my phone number in Tacoma, something happens, anything, you call me, I'll get someone to you, and I'll come right back too, okay?"

"Okay" She took the piece of paper gingerly and folded it into her pocket. He doubted she would call, he didn't even know if she could use a phone, he wasn't sure at what age a kid could be trusted with stuff like that, but it gave him piece of mind.

"I have something else for you." He pulled out a small stuffed dog from the inside pocket of his cut and her eyes lit up. "Here" He moved it closer till she finally took it in her small hand. She rubbed its head like it was a real dog and smiled.

"Really? To keep?" She asked in the quietest most hopeful voice he could imagine her small body possessed.

"Yeah sweet heart, to keep." It was a cheap thing he had picked up in the greeting card aisle of a convenient store this morning; it bugged the hell out of him that the girl had no toys. "I gotta go, you promise to be good?"

"I promise. You promise you'll come back again?" She hugged the little dog to her chest tightly.

"I promise" he said as seriously as if he was accepting a hit. He kissed the top of her head and then got up and back on his bike. She stood and watched him leave, the look on her face breaking his heart.

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_So I rewrote this a little bit, it's hard trying to find a balance between Happy wanting to help this little girl, and him getting all mushy and sweet and Un-Happy like. I'm struggling more with the next chapter as well in that respect; Happy cares about Gabby's safety and wellbeing, and maybe even (in the future) loves her, but I don't see him being mushy about it like Jax or Opie with their young kids. Remember Opie when Lyla was holding Abel in the clubhouse after they brought him home? Yeah, I don't see Happy having that kind of a reaction to a young child._

_On a side note, Prospect Happy? I loved the scene where Filthy Phil was giving baby Thomas a bottle, and it got me thinking, Happy as a prospect...watching kids, doing bitch work... It has helped me a little in seeing a possible non killer side of Happy, and maybe given me a future story idea, although i have no idea what it would be about._


	3. Chapter 3

Okay…some of you might go into this thinking I skipped too much, or that Happy is a little OC, but I think by the end he will be back to his old Happy self. Pun intended. You will either love the ending of this chapter or send me loads of hate mail, but this is just how is played out in my head.

Thank you for the comments, OMG! I love them, and for the added alerts. When I saw that one of the authors I follow had started following me I literally squealed so loud my BF came running into the room asking me what was wrong lmao! I love all of you so much!

Lastly, I just realized the page breaks I had put in aren't showing up, so from now on I'll use fan fiction's line breaks which I know work. Hope there was no confusion in the few time jumps.

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Disclaimer: Do not own, not for profit

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Chapter 3 2000

Age 8

"Hap" Kozik barged into the house. He had moved in with Happy when he transferred to Tacoma 2 months ago.

"What?" Happy called from the living room letting his brother know where he was.

"That kid, Gabby? She's in the hospital." Happy stood up so fast Kozik subconsciously took a step back.

"What happened?"

"Don't know, I was on the phone with Chibs, he mentioned it." Kozik scratched his head, he still didn't really know who Gabby was to Happy. When he had come by to see the house he'd asked about the pictures on the fridge. Happy's response had been to grunt and say 'come kid'. When Kozik had spotted Happy hugging a little girl outside Charming elementary he had almost crashed his bike in surprise.

Happy ran his hand over his bald head a few times and then grabbed his emergency duffle from the hall closet.

"You want me to come with you?" Kozik jogged out of the house after Happy.

"No. Call Lee, tell him… something." Happy strapped his duffel down to his bitch seat and took off. Kozik blew out a breath and went back in the house to call Lee. The Tacoma President had no more information on this girl then what Happy had told Kozik; she was some kid Happy took a liking too. Lee ordered Kozik to catch up to Happy and follow him down to Charming. The last thing Lee needed was an upset killer on a rampage for someone hurting what he considered his.

It took about an hour of racing before Kozik finally caught up with Happy, going about 95, they exchanged simple nods until they both finally stopped for gas.

"You didn't need to follow." Was all Happy would say as he headed inside to pay for the gas.

"Lee told me too, didn't want you alone brother." It was what being a Son was about after all. Always having a brother there when you need 'em. Happy simply nodded and headed back out to his bike. It would be late by the time he reached Charming, but he didn't care, anything could have happened to that girl, hit by car, attacked out alone at the park, her mother could have hurt her, hopped up on shit, or tweaking out looking for more. The more things he pictured happening to her the faster he rode, Kozik struggling to keep up with him.

Happy hit Charming and bypassed the clubhouse, going immediately to St. Thomas. He raced into reception and scared the nurse half to death demanding Gabby's room number and her condition.

"Hap, Hap brother come on." Kozik grabbed his shoulder as he turned for the stairs when the elevator doors didn't immediately open for him. "Chill for a second. The nurse said she was stable. Just wait, okay?" Happy stayed silent, his jaw muscles ticking, but stood still and waited for the elevator doors to open.

Kozik couldn't help but smirk when they arrived on Gabby's floor and walked right into 2 security guards. A nurse and a doctor were waiting outside Gabby's assigned room.

"Let me in." Was all Happy would say.

"Family only sir, you have to wait till morning. Visiting hours are over." The doctor began to explain.

"I'm her father." It came out of Happy's mouth automatically. He'd never called himself that before, she didn't call him dad; it wasn't even a conscious decision to lie so he'd be able to see her.

"Please, he was out of town, he drove straight here, 11 hours. Just let him see her for a moment." Kozik stepped between Happy and the doctor.

"You can see her in the morning. She's perfectly fine. We're just keeping her overnight for observation." The doctor tried to calm Happy.

"What happened to her?" Kozik asked, he knew Happy was beyond the point of any normal human interaction.

"Severe allergic reaction. Her throat swelled closed. She's going to need to carry an EpiPen with her, maybe give one to her school. But so far she seems to be recovering just fine. We did a thorough allergy test on her; the only thing she reacted to was shellfish. Were you aware of the allergy? They are very often genetic, you may have passed it down to her."

Happy stood quietly listening to the doctor. There was no one around her room and as far as he could tell, no one in there either. That bugged him something awful. When JT's kid had been in the hospital a prospect was always posted outside the door. And Thomas had never been alone. Gemma, JT, Clay, Piney, Bobby, someone was always with him. If the family needed a break or went on a run a hang around or even a trusted sweet butt was posted at his bed side.

But Gabby had no one. He half expected that; his brothers wouldn't hold vigil over a sweet butt's kid, not unless something was seriously wrong. But Jesus, where was Emily? How could she leave her 8 year old child in a hospital overnight all alone?

Happy and Emily had reached the breaking point of their 'relationship'. At first Happy had continued to bed her, only so he could spend time with Gabby in the mornings. But Emily began to get cocky about it; thinking she had won herself an old man. When Gabby had started 1st grade Happy had begun to visit her after school, picking her up and taking her to the park. They were always short visits, making sure she was okay, that she appeared healthy and somewhat happy. He remembered the last visit he had with her, she had insisted he come home with her to see her science project, she had been so proud. When he asked if her mother helped her she just looked down at her feet for a moment, and then ignored the question to tell him how she had grown the plant from a seed…

"Hap?" Kozik nudged his shoulder gently; the doctor had long since stopped speaking. Happy shook himself out of his head.

"I'm not leaving till I see her." He said simply and walked past the guards into the room. He heard Koz saying something along the lines of promising to keep him quiet or maybe leave quietly, he didn't really care.

Gabby was lying in bed, an oxygen tube still in her nose. Her hair was flat and matted to her face. She looked so damn small in the hospital bed. Her head turned at his next step and her eyes lit up when she saw him. He loved that; she was always so thrilled to see him, and after nearly 3 years still shocked every time he visited. Whether it was a few weeks or a few months between visits she never failed to make him feel like the most important person in the world.

"Hey sweet heart." He said quietly, making his way over to the side of her bed. He settled on the edge of it, her miniature frame leaving plenty of room in the standard size hospital bed.

"Happy…you came." Her voice sounded horse, probably from being intubated in the ambulance.

"Of course I did sweet heart." He swept his hand through her hair. "Are you okay?"

She nodded her head slowly. "I don't like it here." She said so matter of factly he had to smile.

"I don't like hospitals either." He turned his head at a noise and saw Kozik and the nurse at the door. "Where's your mom?"

Gabby simply shrugged her shoulders. "Are they gonna make you leave?" Her little voice came out terrified at the notion.

"Nobody makes me do anything sweet heart." Kozik smirked at the statement. Lee had once made a comment that he was damn lucky Happy was willing to follow orders, because no one in Tacoma could make Happy do something he didn't want to do.

"Your father can only stay for a moment dear." The nurse stepped in and corrected Happy. Gabby didn't seem to give the title a second thought.

"Will you stay till I fall asleep?" She asked quietly, her hand sneaking out from under the blanket to rub against his large rings. It was something she did often. Happy never stopped her, and would take them off and give them to her to try on. He always promised to let her keep any that would fit her, but try as she might, even his pinky ring wouldn't stay on her thumb.

"Absolutely sweet heart." The nurse started to quietly lecture Kozik.

"He can't stay the night with his 8 year old daughter? What, because he's her father and not her mother? Or maybe you just don't like what he's wearing, would you let him stay if he walked in here in khakis and a polo? Let me break it down for you; he stays in here as long as he wants, or 20 of us will stay in the waiting room till she's released. Which would you prefer?" Kozik threatened the unpleasant woman. She huffed and stalked out of the room.

Kozik nodded once to Happy and took up a post outside Gabby's hospital room, something he hadn't done since getting patched in. It was nearly an hour before the quiet chatter stopped and he could hear shuffling from the room. He peered in and saw Gabby fast asleep, and Happy getting comfortable in the chair next to the bed.

"Everything good in here?" Koz asked. Happy simply nodded, his eyes not leaving Gabby. "You staying?" another nod. "You need anything?"

Happy finally looked up, "Find her mother, I want to know why the fuck her 8 year old daughter is alone in a hospital bed." Happy growled out in a low voice.

"Who is she?"

"Emily Duncan."

"You want me to bring her here?"

"No. Don't tell her I'm here. I want to know how long it takes her to show up."

Kozik nodded and headed off to TM, it wasn't a Friday, but it was the best place in town to start searching for a sweet butt.

* * *

Kozik came back to the hospital early, bringing coffee to Hap. He interrupted a seemingly serious conversation on the better cartoon; Looney Tunes or Animaniacs between the little girl and the club assassin. Hap kissed Gabby on the head and pushed her breakfast tray closer to her before getting up to greet his brother.

As soon as they stepped into the hall Kozik handed Hap the coffee. "How's she doing?" Kozik asked as Happy gratefully sipped the offered coffee.

"She's good. Doc said she's clear to leave. He called Emily 'bout 20 minutes ago."

"Doubt she'll be here man, she spent all night downing shots at the club house. She was face down in Bobby's lap when I left this morning."

Happy wiped a hand over his head. Gabby had never once asked where her mother was, Happy wondered if she knew better then to expect her mother to be there with her, or just didn't want her there.

The threesome waited in Gabby's hospital room. Kozik came to understand the Killer and Gabby a bit better. Happy talked to her like another adult, about appropriate subject matter, but was never condescending to her. He talked to her as anyone who wasn't a brother, about his mom, and his job in Tacoma. She apparently knew who Kozik was as well. Happy knew things about the girl that Kozik couldn't imagine he would remember, like the name of her best friend Charlene, and the field trip she went on last month to the zoo.

After 2 hours Emily hadn't even contacted the hospital, let alone showed up to take her daughter home and the doctors relented into letter Gabby's 'father' sign her out. Kozik rode back to TM and got the tow truck to bring the girl home in, which Happy insisted on driving, letting Kozik take his bike. Nobody else ever rode Hap's bike, although Kozik couldn't imagine Happy would let just anyone drive his 'daughter' home from the hospital either.

"You want me to stick around?" Koz offered when they all parked in front of Gabby's house.

"For a sec." Hap answered him. "Come on sweet heart, let's get you upstairs." Happy led the quiet girl to her bedroom taking careful stock of the condition of the house. It had been nearly 2 months since his last visit and it seemed like every time he showed up it looked more and more like a crack den and less like a home.

Happy came back down and met up with Kozik in the kitchen, he peered into the fridge. Beer made up about half of it, but at least there was bread and milk in there as well. He grabbed 2 beers and handed Kozik one.

"You went through foster care, right?" Hap asked while taking a swig of his beer.

"Yeah" Koz nodded, he didn't like where this conversation was going.

"Think I should call someone to take her out of here?" Happy sat down at the kitchen table.

Kozik sighed and sat down across from him. "Look, Hap, I know this looks bad, but social services ain't gonna improve anything. She's not gonna end up in some cozy foster home with a nice old couple, she's gonna get put in a group home with a bunch of older troubled kids. Sleep on a bunk in a room with 10 or 15 other girls, no parents, just supervisors and directors. And she'll get moved around, constantly. You won't be allowed to visit her and half the time you won't know where she is to break the rules anyway. If she were getting beat, or God forbid molested, then yeah, sure, pull her out. But I swear Hap, she's better off here for now."

Happy sat back in his chair and nodded his head.

"Hap, if you want, we could take her back with us. She can have my room. I'll move my shit down to the basement. She'd be in school while we were at work, and between the 2 of us and the old lady's and the sweet butts we could take care of her."

"2 male felons raising a girl that isn't related to either one of us." Happy said simply.

"Right…" Kozik blew out a breath when he realized how bad that would look for them and the club. The men sat in silence for a few minutes. "You gonna wait for Emily?"

"Sure as hell not leaving Gabby here alone."

"You mind if I duck out? Got some people I want to catch up with while I'm in town."

"No, go ahead, thanks Koz." Happy added as Kozik got up.

"No sweat brother. You want me to leave the truck?" he offered.

"Nah" Kozik nodded and left with the truck to retrieve his bike. He was glad to be out of the house, he didn't want to be there to witness the show that was sure to take place when Emily finally showed up. Although shit like that was probably why Lee had asked Kozik to come down here with Hap. Kozik wondered momentarily if he was gonna end up burying the damn whore later tonight.

* * *

It took Emily till nearly noon to get to the hospital and another whole hour of runaround with the nurses to figure out that some man claiming to be Gabby's father had not only spent the night in her hospital room, but then taken her home after being discharged. She hit up the stash in her purse before racing home; she knew she was in for it.

At first Happy had been fucking her every trip down, Emily felt special. When Happy got on her about keeping her mouth shut and not having anything to brag about she had finally opened her eyes up to what was going on between Happy and her daughter. Emily wasn't below using her kid to bag a Son. She had been hoping he would make them into a family, even made a few subtle hints about moving to Tacoma. But every time she thought she was pulling him closer he would get pissed over her parenting and tell her off. Her big happy family was quickly slipping away. Emily needed to do something bigger if she wanted to finally get the respect as an old lady that she felt she rightfully deserved.

She saw the bike before she even pulled into the driveway and took a deep breath to prepare herself. She fixed her face with a look of pure worry and raced into the house.

"Gabby?! Baby! Are you here angel?" She yelled as she entered the front door.

"Shut up!" Happy greeted her and yanked her the rest of the way inside. "Where the fuck have you been?"

"I, I had to work, the hospital said you took her home. Is she okay? Where's my angel?" Emily had never once in her life called her daughter angel, or baby for that matter, but it couldn't hurt right now.

"You think you can fucking lie to me? You were at the club house. Fucking around with my brothers. You still reek of booze and sex."

"Where the fuck do you get off talking to me like that? You kidnapped my daughter!" Suddenly a flip was switched in Emily, one of the many crack induced mood swings Gabby had learned to maneuver around; she couldn't play the game anymore she was going straight for her goal.

"I brought her home! I spent the night with her, she was scared, she needed someone there. A parent Emily! She's 8 fucking years old!"

"And you just happened to be there. To what, comfort her, entertain her? She's not your kid Hap, You are Not her fucking parent! I am!"

"THEN FUCKING ACT LIKE IT." Happy bellowed and walked further into the house. He had taken Gabby upstairs to lay down as soon as they got home, he wanted to make sure she was still there.

Emily ran behind him and grabbed onto his arm yanking him back. "You don't fucking come in my house and talk to me like that! You want Gabby, fine, but you get me too Hap. I'm done letting you play daddy, I want in."

"What the fuck are you talking about?"

"You make me your old lady, you can fuck whoever the fuck you want, any whore, any crow eater, Gabby, whoever the fuck you want, but I want your god damn crow."

Happy instantly saw red. He couldn't even process what the whore had just said to him. She would let him fuck her daughter for his god damn ink. He grabbed a hold of her hair and yanked her head down, forcing her to her knees. "You will never get my ink bitch! That little girl ain't your fucking meal ticket. I ever find out you're using her I will gut you." He seethed into her face and spat on her.

"You won't find out shit. You don't keep me you don't get her. You fucking give me that crow or you never see her again! I swear to God I'll call the cops. Kidnapping, molesting, you're a fucking felon, who the fuck do you think they're gonna believe?"

"Bitch don't black mail me." It was all he could get out of his threat before she squirmed out of his hold and attacked him. Beating on his chest and scratching at his face. He did his best to stop her, not wanting to truly hurt her, bitch was crazy enough at this point to call the cops on him for assault, and she was fucking right. He had forged the hospital paper work. She had all the amo she needed to lock him up.

"You fucking son of a bitch! Get off me, get your fucking hands off me!" she started screaming louder as Happy got a grip of her wrists. He threw her off of him with more force than he meant and watched her go crashing into the banister at the bottom of the stair case. "Get out! Get out! I swear to God I'll call the cops, get the fuck out!" She continued to scream. Happy realized she was probably tweaking. There was no way she would have had the courage sober to attack him like that.

That's when he saw her. "Shit, Gabby" She was standing on the second to the top step, her hand gripped tightly to the banister. "Gabby, sweet heart." Happy didn't want to leave her in the house with her mother in such a state. He climbed the first 2 stairs and Gabby flinched, climbing up backwards to the top step, and then the landing. Happy's heart broke. She sure as hell had seen him hurt her mother, and for that matter had probably heard the entire fight. She had probably come out of her room at her mother's initial yells at the front door.

"Gabby, sweat heart, please, we need to go." He climbed 2 more steps and held his hand out for her but she just stood there and stared at him, taking deep, scared breaths. Her mother continued to yell and scream from the floor. She pulled back at Happy's cut, making him stumble down the steps and pushed at his chest again, trying to get him out the door. Happy didn't fight back. His eyed were locked with Gabby's. She looked torn. Maybe she didn't know who she should be more scared of, the woman who was screaming and swinging her arms hysterically or the man that had sent her crashing to the floor. The woman who had given birth to her, or the man that actually took care of her.

"OUT, out I swear to God, I'll call the cops. Get out!" Emily continued to scream. Gabby continued to stare from the top of the steps. "Gabby, Gabby call the cops. He hurt me, he heart your mom! Gabby!" Gabby's eyes broke with Happy's to watch her mother. She wasn't in danger; she was the only one still yelling and fighting. Her eyes went back to Happy's and he could see the tears welling up before she finally turned away and ran down the hall out of his line of sight. He heard her door slam as he too finally backed up against the front door.

* * *

Next chapter will show more of the entirety of the club, and how the nonmember's fit in. On a roll with this story, plus I got the whole weekend off, so an update should be up before Monday.


	4. Chapter 4

_So I tried to write a chapter between the last scene and this time jump, but it just didn't work. I got about a page and a half into it and I absolutely hated it. But I put in a few things for this one that lets us know Happy didn't just walk away completely._

* * *

Disclaimer: Do not own, not for profit

* * *

2003

Age 12

"Get your ass down here NOW" Emily screamed up the stairs.

Gabby came out of her room in a huff and stood at the top of the stair case. "I'm not going, this is ridiculous. There is no reason for us to be there."

"It is an honor to be invited to Gemma's family dinners and we are going."

"You weren't invited to the dinner, you were asked to help make it! We don't even get to eat at the table!"

Emily ran up the stairs and grabbed her daughter's arm, "you want to make it in this family you have to pay your dues. Now put a fucking smile on your face and get in the god damn car!"

"I thought you paid your dues by sucking dick!" The slap echoed in the hallway as it sent Gabby's head flying to the side. She could taste the blood in her mouth but she was more surprised that it still hurt after all these years then the fact that her mother had actually hit her.

"Car you little ungrateful bitch!" Emily dragged her daughter out of the house and threw her into the back seat.

"Emily! Look at you!" Luanne gave her a loose hug and a forced kiss on the cheek. Gemma looked up and smiled at the 2 new arrivals before handing off the bowl of potatoes she was peeling to Emily.

"You're late. Here, finish these for me. Gabby, can you stir that pot for me Hun?" Gemma had no patients for the sweet butts, she used them as slave labor, cooking, cleaning, errands, but in her mind they really weren't on the same par with 'her family'.

"Yes ma'am." Gabby dodged another sweet butt who was basting the turkey in the oven and started stirring the beginnings of homemade cranberry sauce. Gemma always did a huge Thanksgiving celebration for all of SAMCRO before the actual Thursday; she had to make sure her family got fed before men started to filter home for their own family celebrations.

"Hey, hey sorry oh my god Gemma, I could not get these little rug rats out of the house." Donna came in carrying Kenny in a car seat and pushing Ellie in front of her slowly. Gemma took the large casserole dish out of her other hand.

"Don't worry about it." She set the platter down and unstrapped Kenny from the car seat. "Hi little man" Gabby rolled her eyes as Gemma continued to play with the baby and compliment Ellie on her new dress. Of course Donna's kids got special attention, and she got to stir the fucking cranberry sauce.

"Gabby, take the kids in the back for me please, keep an eye on them. I put a movie in the player." Gabby abandoned her ladle and took Kenny from Gemma balancing the 8 month old on her hip as Donna hung the diaper bag on her shoulder.

"Come on Ellie, you know where the play room is." Gabby directed the 3 year old through the living room around several of the other arriving bikers. Opie was coming through the door with Kyle and Jax. Why the fathers couldn't ride in the cars with their wives and children boggled her mind, but she knew better then to point out the waste of gasoline to the bikers.

"Gabby, take Megan will ya?" Kyle pushed his 5 year old daughter over to Gabby as well to baby sit while Charlie his son talked to Jax. Opie walked over to kiss his baby on the head and caught a glance at Gabby's newly spilt lip.

"Whoa whoa hold up" Opie grabbed Gabby's chin and looked at her split lip closely. "What the hell Gab?"

Gabby pulled her head out of the large bikers hand and readjusted baby Kenny on her hip.

"She got into another fight at school." Emily stepped over from setting the table to cover for her earlier actions; all Gabby could do was look away from the group at the lie.

"You keep that up your gonna get your ass expelled." Gemma hit her lightly on her ass with a dish towel. "Kids out. Jackson, can you grab the beer from the garage for your dear old mom?" Jax dutifully left as Gabby herded the now 3 children into the back of the house. April kissed her husband on the cheek and entered the kitchen to help Gemma.

"Charlie, who's giving Gabby problems at school?" Kyle asked his son. He was only a year old then Gabby.

"No one." Charlie shook his head and grabbed a can of pop from the kid's cooler against the wall.

"She got into a fight today." Opie emphasized.

"No she didn't. She was fine when she got off the bus."

"Then who the hell hit her?" Opie glanced back where Gabby had retreated with the young kids.

"Her crack whore mom." Charlie laughed.

"Charlie." Kyle warned.

"Sorry dad, her illegal narcotics addicted sweet butt mom."

Opie and Kyle exchanged a look. "Charlie go help with the kids." Charlie rolled his eyes and left the adults to talk. As soon as he left Kyle started up again. "That's not okay man. I mean I sure as hell admit to knocking Charlie on the back of his head for talking back, but I don't fucking make my kids bleed."

Opie wiped a hand over his face. "Yeah, it ain't right."

"What are two sad sacks whispering about?" Tig came in with a fresh beer.

"Sweet butt's slapping her kid around."

"And?" Tig looked to Opie in an 'I should care because' way.

"And that's not okay." Kyle snapped back.

"She's a sweet butt. Her kid will be a sweet butt. And oh how I cannot wait for that one. MMM man, silky hair, blue eyes, tight little 18 year old body, born and raised to fulfill our every desire." Tig grinned at his brothers and licked his lips.

"She's 12!" Opie and Kyle yelled at him in disgusted unison.

"I said 18! I'm nothing if not patient!" Tig shrugged off his brothers looks to greet his president at the door.

"Tell Gem?" Opie asked his brother.

"Nah, Hap up in Tacoma's got a soft spot for her. I'll give him a call. He'll do something."

"You two discussing tonight?" Clay came over and wrapped his arms around both men. "Plans are set, no worries boys, this thing should go off without a hitch."

* * *

Without a hitch would probably go down as the biggest jinx to every leave Clay's mouth. The men sat around the redwood table in Church discussing what had happened the night before, and to vote on Kyle. He had been asked to leave Church, and Juice the newest prospect was keeping an eye on him in the club house.

Most of the men simply wanted him gone. Dead gone. Bobby and Chibs were a bit more level headed, wanting to wait for Opie's sentencing before they went so far as to kill the man. One thing was for sure however, no one around the table trusted him. He'd let down a brother in one of the worst possible ways.

The men made their decision and quickly adjourned as Motorcycles entered the lot. "Jesus Clay, you called Hap?" Jax whispered to his step father upon seeing Hap and Kozik get off their bikes."

"What the fuck is he doing here?" Tig yelled, referring to Kozik of course, not Hap.

"Escorted Hap, Lee doesn't let his boys ride alone anymore." Bobby reminded Tig. Last year Bowie had been caught alone on his way to Charming and suffered a near fatal gunshot wound.

"Pres." Hap and Clay embraced. Happy hadn't made a trip down to Charming in 5 years. And while it was good to see his brothers and show his respect to the mother Charter, he knew he wouldn't be able to stay away from Gabby.

In truth he hadn't been all that good at it in Tacoma either. He had gotten Tacoma's own computer guy to hack into the Charming school system and get all of Gabby's documents sent to him as well as her mother. It was a way of keeping an eye on her without actually keeping an eye on her. Falling grades, an increase in absences, or a sudden change in behavior were all signs that home life was getting worse. And thanks to Charming's newfangled computer system he was able to read about all of those for Gabby. He knew that history was her worst subject, and math her best. He knew when she missed school or came in late and he knew when she got in trouble for anything and everything.

"So what's the play here?" Happy got down to business clearing all thought of Gabby out of his head.

"Excommunication." Clay said simply.

"No Cut, no Club, no Charming." Tig emphasized.

Happy nodded his head. He knew before he left that he might not get a kill. It didn't matter though; he wanted to be here to make sure this son of a bitch never showed his face to a brother again.

* * *

Happy had spent a week with his brothers pushing Kyle out of Charming. It wasn't as easy as it sounded. After all, he had a wife and 2 kids. The club was left with the decision of whether or not April deserved the same fate as her husband. In the end April had been given a choice, and chose her home and her city before her husband, filing for divorce with a promise of support from the club.

Now he finally sat across the street from Gabby's school waiting for her to come out. He had gone by the house when he saw Emily heavily engaged with Chibs and checked out the living conditions, only to find an empty house and an eviction notice instead.

He heard the bell ring and watched as kids came storming out of the school. If he remembered correctly they were done for a week, for Thanksgiving break.

He spotted her instantly it didn't matter that she was 4 years older. He watched her walk out alone, avoiding the crowd of kids; she began to make her way to a bus but froze. They locked eyes and Happy could do nothing but will her to cross the street.

She adjusted her back pack and glanced back at the bus and then again at Happy. In truth she wanted nothing more than to run into his arms, but she wasn't sure she stood. Her mother had never forgiven her for what happened with him. Somehow it was the young girls' fault that Happy had left and never come back. Gabby wasn't that stupid. Her mother had used her to black mail Happy, she had driven him away. But it was the fact that he had left so easily, hadn't tried to see her or help her, that made her hesitate in crossing the street. Happy hated her mother more then he cared about her. And if he wasn't willing to take her away she had to do what would make her mother happy. She was the one Gabby was stuck living with after all. She nodded to him and then turned and got on the bus.

Happy swallowed heavily when she turned away from him. He didn't know what that nod meant. That yes, she had seen him? That she remembered who he was? That she wanted him to follow her, but she couldn't leave the school? He straddled his bike and waited patiently for the students to board and take off. He followed at a distance, not wanting to freak the driver, or worry the kids getting off at each stop.

She got off the bus with 2 others and seemed to linger until the others had left and then walked back the direction the bus had come from. Happy watched her lean against the wall of the gas station on the corner and pulled in, parking in front of the doors. He walked around to the side she was on and just looked at her.

She was so much older now. Her hair thick and styled, her face leaner, the last traces of baby fat gone. Her arms and legs were slightly longer then they should be for her body and he couldn't help but smile at her awkwardness. He remembered that stage well.

"Take a picture it'll last longer." She responded to his smirk and he went serious again. "She know you're here?"

"Don't think she knows I'm in Charming." Gabby nodded her head before letting the back of it rest on the wall. Happy took a step forward. He wanted to hug her, hold her like he did when she was younger. She was too old now for him to pick up, not that she was too heavy, but she certainly wouldn't allow it, or ask for it like she did when she was young.

"You're here because of Opie?" Not knowing for sure how much she knew about events going on in the club he simply nodded his head. She looked out across the street, not really knowing what else to say to him. She was hurt by his leaving, but she still wanted his love so badly. She was afraid of opening herself up and trusting him only to have him leave again.

"Sweet heart" he took a step closer to her and ran his hand down her cheek. "I never wanted to leave."

"I get it Hap, I get what she did. You had too, or you would have looked weak. Can't let the whores dictate your life." She jerked her head to the side and Happy dropped his hand.

"What are you talking about?" Happy stepped closer, blocking her range of vision, forcing her to meet his eyes.

"She black mailed you. If you had given in-"

"That's not why I left Gabby." Happy interrupted her. "Sweet heart, I didn't leave to save face. I left because she could have put me in prison. You remember what she said?"

"Every word." Gabby whispered and Happy's heart clenched with the memory of the look of terror in the young girls eyes that day.

"I lied to the hospital to see you. And then I checked you out. Your mother could have put me in jail for kidnapping you. She told me she'd tell the cops I was molesting you."

"And she told you you could fuck me if you wanted to after you put your crow on her." Gabby spat out.

"I never wanted that. Gabby that wasn't why I-"

"I know. But you knew she was willing. And you left me there." Happy didn't care that tears were welling up in his eyes. Gabby was the only person he didn't care about being emotional with.

"Has anyone, Gabby" he grabbed both of her arms and put his face directly in front of her, "has anyone done anything to you? Anyone, any guy, my brothers have any of them-"

"No." Gabby turned her head away from his intense glare and took a shaky breath. It was the truth, no one had touched her, but more than one Son had 'complimented' her and told her 'what a beautiful woman she was growing into.' Tig more than anyone else.

Happy pulled her against his chest and held onto her tightly, kissing the top of her head and she finally buried her face into his cut. He had never considered that. Never thought his brothers would touch her, and certainly never thought she would fear it. Never in 4 years of wondering how much she must hate him did he think that was why.

They walked back to her house, leaving Happy's bike at the gas station. Happy inspected the house, it was the left half of a duplex, everything was smaller, and there were 2 bedrooms instead of 3. It seemed clean, there was a bit more food in the fridge then last time as well, but Gabby informed him they had only lived there 2 months.

He couldn't get over how much she had grown. Not just in height, but she was so much more mature, holding serious conversations with him. He learned that Emily had lost her waitressing job and stooped so low she was cooking crank in the kitchen. While she hadn't succeeded in blowing the house up she had caught fire to it last year. She had no insurance, letting it lapse to spend money else wear and they had lived with no kitchen for nearly 8 months before finally being evicted. This place they were living in now was in her grandmother's name. Emily couldn't get a place to save her life.

Happy got rather hopeful at the mention of a relative till he found out her grandmother was 82 living in a nursing home with advanced Alzheimer's and had no idea she had signed lease agreements.

He tried to read between the lines, make sure Gabby was alright. She seemed to be taking everything in stride. She seemed almost too mature in the way she approached things, but as before when she was younger, he didn't really know how a normal 12 year old girl was supposed to act. He had reacted to his father's drug use by rebelling, skipping school, getting into fights, falling into the wrong crowds. Gabby seemed different, jaded, taking on the weight of the world, becoming the parent in a sense instead of the child.

She assured him she was okay, that she was going to school, getting plenty of food to eat. Happy questioned how her mother was treating her. She had no visible cuts or bruises, her split lip having healed, and she assured him that she wasn't being beat. In her mind she wasn't. She got a slap ever now and then, sometimes she got shoved into walls, but her mother had never actually beaten her. There was a clear separation in her mind. She knew things could be worse. She also knew things could be better. But Happy wouldn't make things better for her, not unless he took her away, and she would never ask him to do that.

He left reluctantly with a tight hug and an absolute promise to come back. He gave her the prepay he had picked up before going to the school, his house number and the Tacoma garage both programmed in along with his current number. He knew things would be different now, Gabby was different, they had to hide their visits. The dynamic had changed; Happy would never have his sweet little innocent girl back in his arms, thrilled beyond words to see him ride up.

* * *

_No more big time jumps for a while, we will be going 16, 17, 18, and 19 before we lose any more time. Hopefully I did this story justice._

_For those of you who doubt Gemma would treat Gabby that way I direct your attention to season 4 episode 6, Gemma: This is why mothers should drown baby girls._

_One of my favorite lines from Gemma._


	5. Chapter 5

_You guys are so awesome, 60 reviews on my first 4 chapters, WOW! Thank you to absolutely everybody who review and/or add me to favorites and alerts, and thank you to everyone who simply comes to read as well. I had 600 hits on my last chapter as of this posting, and I know I am guilty of not commenting on every chapter of every story I read as well, but I know you are all there, so thank you for coming back!_

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Disclaimer: do not own, not for profit

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2008

age 16

Happy sat parked down the street from Gabby's house. He had gone on a search for her as soon as he got into Charming this afternoon and came up completely empty. She wasn't answering her cell phone either. He had checked everywhere he thought a 16 year old girl might go, which honestly was a pretty short list in a town as small as Charming, he had questioned Charlene who simply told the scary biker that her best friend was working and then ducked back into her boyfriend's car. Happy had ridden all the way to Galt to check her job, only to find out she had quit.

To say Happy was worried would be more than an understatement. He had watched her grades steadily drop this entire school year and witnessed her getting into a fight outside the high school on his last visit. He had called her twice a week since the last time he saw her and if she bothered to pick up she barely said 2 words to him. When she didn't answer any of his last 3 attempts to call her he had finally jumped on his bike and ridden straight to come check on her. And now she wasn't fucking here.

He continued to sit and wait as patiently as he could. Midnight came and went however and Gabby never showed up. Neither did her mother. He began to wonder if they moved, or more likely been evicted when he saw a group of teens walking toward him.

He spotted Gabby immediately, her think hair flowing around her face, light blue eyes piercing the darkness. Her jeans were tight and sat low on her hips, her shirt doing more to show off her chest then to cover it. She was stumbling and leaning heavily on a guy that had to be at least 21.

He could smell the joints being passed around the group but it was the bottle of liquor being thrust at his obviously drunk daughter that finally had him off his bike and charging through the crowd to yank Gabby off the side walk.

Gabby's eyes flared for a moment when she realized who had just grabbed her but it was the guy she had been hanging on that spoke up first.

"What the fuck you think you're doing?" He yelled, fueled by liquor and pot and shoved Happy away. "Give her back!" Happy's only reply was to rip his gun out of its holster and point it directly at the young man's head.

"Shit, go man, come on!" another of the teens yelled and grabbed his friends hoodie and yanked him out of the way of the gun.

"We don't want no trouble dude, you can have her." A third guy said while shoving his own girl away to the front of the group.

"Loyal friends" Happy sneered holstering his gun as the group left. Gabby stood still trying to focus her eyes on him. "Come on, home. Go." He held her elbow firmly to steady her and attempted to guide her the half a block to her house.

"I don't need your fucking help." She finally spoke, pulling her arm out of his grasp.

"You are in no damn condition to be talking back sweet heart." He moved his hand to her back as she continued to stumble past his bike and toward her driveway.

"Don't you fucking sweet heart me." He caught her just before she face planted on the porch steps and bit his tongue. He knew things had been leading up to this and as much as he knew she needed to say it and get it out of her system he wasn't looking forward to letting a drunk teenage girl scream at him while she threw a temper tantrum.

He watched her fumble with her keys for a solid minute before grabbing them and unlocking the door, pushing her through it.

"There, you happy now? I'm safe at home you can leave now." She stumbled into the kitchen and crashed into a chair as she tried to get her long purse strap off from across her body.

"I'm not leaving Gabby." He took her purse off of her and left it on the table before opening the fridge to retrieve a bottle of water and at a second thought a bottle of mustard.

"Why not, it's what you're good at."

"I see you every chance I get." Happy defended himself fully aware of the stupidity in arguing with her at the moment. He kicked the fridge door closed and led Gabby to the stair case.

"No Hap, you leave every chance you get. You swoop in to save the day and get your daddy fix and then you ride off and you leave me here…in this shitty fucking town with a crack whore mom." She turned around at the base of the steps to rant and he turned her back around and began to march her up the steps.

"Don't give me that shit. I don't deserve it. I am the only one that gives a shit about you. I'm the only one that tries to help you." They reached the top of the stairs and he shoved her towards the bathroom.

"You're not helping Hap! All you do is make shit worse. My whole fucking life you've done nothing but give me hope and tell me how special I am and then you leave and I'm just the bastard child of the town whore. A title that apparently I'm gonna inherit! Just like my mother, fucking bikers and shooting up crank!"

"You are not your mother." Happy grabbed her face and spoke directly at her, staring her right in the eye.

"Sure I am, I've practically got crow eater stamped on my forehead. Tig talks like it's my fucking birthright!" She kept yelling, pulling her head out of Happy's grasp.

"For Christ sake Gabby stop listening to Tig! You're not a crow eater and I will never let you be a fucking crow eater." He grabbed her as she tried to leave the bathroom and pinned her against the counter. He sighed and tried to calm himself down. He hated seeing her like this. His girl was calm, took shit as it came to her, something was seriously wrong for her to be acting like this. "You're drunk." He said in a low firm voice.

"Don't forget stoned. You want to yell at me? Maybe you should hit me, knock some sense into me. Make it the left side, huh? The right still hurts from this morning."

Happy took a few deep breaths to keep himself under control. He knew by now Emily was slapping Gabby around but this was the first time she had ever actually admitted it was happening. He took her jaw gently in his hand, he could tell standing so close that she had attempted to cover a decent size bruise with makeup. He wasn't doing this anymore, not with her drunk. Everything she was saying was the truth, she wouldn't lie to him this wasted, but if he actually wanted to find out what the fuck was going on he needed to sober her up.

He shifted his hand and gently pinched her mouth open pulling the bottle of mustard from his back pocket.

"No, no, no, no, please no Hap no please." She started to beg hysterically.

"You gonna stick your fingers down your throat?" She shook her head vehemently and Happy squirted the mustard into her mouth. She started gagging immediately and broke away from Happy to bend over the toilet and retch.

Happy tossed the mustard aside and pulled the girls hair back; rubbing his other hand on her back. "I'm sorry sweet heart; you'll thank me in the morning.

* * *

Gabby came down the stairs slowly the next morning clutching the now empty bottle of water that had been on her night stand. Happy was sitting at the kitchen table toast more water and aspirin waiting for her. She glanced at him and then the food crinkling her nose.

"Sit." He got up and directed her to the chair taking the water bottle from her and refilling it, throwing it in the freezer. She picked up the toast and then thought better of it, setting it down in exchange for the pain killers. She managed half of one slice in the end before resting her forehead on the cool wooden table.

"How you feeling?" Happy whispered next to her.

"Like I spent the night throwing up internal organs." He managed to silence his chuckle. What she had done last night was serious.

"We need to talk." Gabby sighed and brought her head back up to look at him.

"Is she here?"

"No."

"You need to be gone before she gets home." On the rare occasion Emily caught Gabby and Hap together her mother went on a rampage as soon as he left.

"Called in a favor, she's being kept busy." Gabby crinkled her nose again at the thought of how.

"How much did you drink last night?" Happy started. Gabby shrugged her shoulders. "How much did you smoke?"

"We spilt everything. There were 7 of us. Maybe 4 bottles, 3-4 joints." Happy nodded his head.

"Who were they?" She again shrugged her shoulders. "Gabby…" He warned at her silence.

"I don't know, they came in to buy booze, invited me to join." She reached into her purse from last night and started to fish around.

"In where?"

"The gas station."

"That where you work now? What happened to the dry cleaners in Galt?"

She pulled a pack of cigarettes out of her purse and lit one. "Quit." Happy yanked the cigarette out of her mouth and put it on her toast.

"No fucking way Gab."

"You smoke." She reached for the pack and he grabbed it and crumpled it up.

"You ever seen me smoke?" Gabby thought for a moment and shook her head. "No smoking. Why'd you quit the drycleaners?"

"Couldn't get there. Mom sold the car."

Happy sighed and rubbed a hand over his face. She had bussed tables at the diner since literally her 14th birthday, and the day she got her license, thanks to Happy, she had gotten a better job in Galt. "So you just decided to hang out with a group of older guys you knew nothing about?"

"Yes?" She asked more than answered.

"What the hell is going on with you Gabby? You know better than that." Happy could certainly sympathize with the girl, he had been worse at her age, but seeing it now from the other side he just wanted to strangle her for her stupidity… and apologize to his mother.

"Nothing's going on. Are we done?" She picked up her lighter and started flicking it on and off.

"Why'd your mother sell the car?"

"For money."

"You think you're funny?" He snatched the lighter away from her.

"I think I'm hilarious." She pushed her chair back and got up.

"Gabby I can't help you if you don't talk to me." Happy got up and followed her.

"I didn't ask for your help."

"GABBY." Happy said loudly, but didn't scream as her foot hit the first step.

"Mom sold the car to pay off her abortion. She made me take her." Happy took a deep breath. Emily was seriously fucked up. "She was all loopy still on the drugs. She kept telling me all the different ways having me ruined her life. She said if she knew then what she knew now she would have sold her car to kill me too."

"Jesus Christ." Happy wiped a hand over his face that was certainly enough to push her over the edge, not that her life in general wasn't enough of a reason to go off the deep end.

"Probably would have been best." She mumbled and turned again for the stairs.

Happy's head snapped up and he reached his arm out pulling her back down and into his chest. "What the fuck did you say?"

"Nothing." She tried to pull away and he held her tighter.

"Gabby."

"Forget it."

"No Gabby, no. You thinking about doing something stupid?" Her silence was all he needed. The knot that had been forming in his stomach since she got up from the table suddenly wanted up and out his throat.

"Gabby look at me." He moved both hands to either side of her face. "Promise me you won't hurt yourself." The blank look in her eyes scared Happy more than having a gun pointed at his head.

"I need to get ready for work." She pulled her head to the side but he kept a firm grasp on it.

"Gabby. Sweet heart." He pulled her back against him and held her tight, kissing the top of her head several times. "Fuck Gabby I'm sorry. I'm sorry I didn't know how bad things had gotten." He pushed her back to look at her face. "I'm gonna fix this."

"Fix what Hap? Fix my mother hating me?"

"No. I'm gonna fix you. You're the only one matters, okay?"

* * *

It wasn't a hard decision. He didn't even question it. Not when he called Quinn, not when he lied to Clay about his reasons for considering it, not when Tacoma voted to let him go. His kid needed him. His Kid. He had taken responsibility for her. And she was right, she right when she was screaming drunkenly at him and she was right the next morning. He wasn't doing shit to help her. He showed up when it was convenient for him and left the same way. Didn't matter what was going on in her life.

"This isn't about your mother." Kozik stated rather then asked when Happy came back from talking to the land lord. He had his name taken off the lease of the house. Kozik gave him a wad of cash for his furniture, less than what it was worth, but without the hassle of sticking around to sell it.

"My mother is sick. I should be spending more time with her." Happy responded. He should have known Kozik would call him out on his actions.

"Yeah, you should be. But that's not why you're doing this." Happy continued to divide up his clothing. He'd leave a duffel in Tacoma, here with Kozik, another in Charming, probably dump one in Rouge River as well, and keep a few days' worth on his bike.

"What do you want from me brother?" Happy finally turned around when Kozik stood silently waiting for a response.

"I want to hear you say it. I want you to look at me and tell me you're leaving Tacoma for Gabby." Happy threw one of the duffels into the back of the closet and shouldered the rest. Quinn was coming to debrief him and help him learn the Nomad ropes.

"She needs me."

"She's always needed you."

Happy didn't share anything about Gabby with Kozik; she was his little secret, his escape. He realized now how selfish that was. She was right he had swooped into town to play daddy and leave again. That wasn't the right thing, not from the very beginning. He should have told someone what was going on, gotten that girl out of the house. Even if it meant out of his life too. It was too late for that now, now he had to fix what he had fucked up.

He stared his brother down, any other patch would have moved out of his way, but not Kozik, not when he wanted answers.

"You're right. She's always needed me." He pushed past Kozik and walked through the front door, throwing a duffel at Quinn who secured it to the back of his bike.

"Good to go brother?" Quinn asked mounting up once again and fastening his helmet.

"Sooner the better."

* * *

_So? As I mentioned, there won't be any more time jumps for a bit. I've got 17 18 and 19 all planned out. The idea for this part came partly from good club related events I could place Gabby in and my sister in law. I asked her a while back if she was gonna finish school once her kids get older (she's a stay at home mom) and her answer was probably not because when kids get older is really when they need their parents the most. Now that Gabby is older and dealing with more grown up problems she needs Happy more._

_Next chapter will include the lockdown of season 2, one of the scene's that inspired me wanting to tell the story of the sweet butts and hang arounds, there were sooo many women and children in those scenes, and as far as we know very few of them are actually old lady's or the children of the bikers._

_Lastly, i apologize to anyone who was bothered by the mustard scene, but if you ever drink to much, it works. One of the many life lessons I learned in college._


	6. Chapter 6

_I'm now on twitter! kiara8921 if you want to follow me so I'm not rambling to myself I would love that. I will put updates about how my stories are coming along, etc._

_Okay, one comment on episode 5x03 (not really a spoiler) I replayed that scene of Happy playing with Abel like 4 times! I know it's just like 15 seconds, but awwwwww! No more remarks or worries on Happy being OC in this story, Kurt Sutter and DL just totally justified my take on Happy!_

_The last part of this story is a bit of a time jump, as noted, but I wanted to keep each chapter an age, and the end wouldn't have been long enough to be a separate chapter anyway._

_And on with the story…_

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Disclaimer: do not own, not for profit

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2009

Age 17

Hap and Bobby pulled into the gas station. Gabby couldn't help but smile; she loved having Happy around more. He hadn't told her outright but she knew she was the reason he had gone Nomad. She saw him sometimes twice a week now and even she would have to admit she was doing better. He was always taking her for rides or stopping and hanging out with her at work at night. Her downward spiral had ceased and she was actually climbing back up now. Happy saw it too. The more she thrived under his one on one attention the guiltier he felt about not giving it to her sooner. She quit smoking, both cigarettes and pot, quit drinking, and was actually opening up to him again.

She secretly wished however that he would get a place here in Charming that she could just move into. But, as was their game, she had never told him nor asked. The older she got the worse her mother treated her. She was waiting for the day she would come home to all her possessions on the front lawn and the locks changed. Her mother had actually threatened to auction off her virginity when she turned 18 'to pay for all the shit' she had to buy her, like food and clothing. And even that was a joke. Gabby had been using her paychecks to buy everything for herself, as well as her mother.

"Hey sweet heart." Happy came in 4 strides before Bobby and kissed her on the cheek before paying for his gas.

"Hey Gabby." Bobby acknowledged her and threw down a packaged Danish to add to his own gas bill.

"You talk to your mother today?" Hap asked, coming around the counter to steal Gabby's stool. Happy and Emily had come to a bit of an understanding since Happy started coming around more. They stayed the fuck away from each other. Happy didn't go to the house when she was there and she didn't come within 10 feet of him at the clubhouse. This cordial arrangement had been agreed upon when Happy walked in on Emily shooting up in the kitchen as Gabby sat at the table doing homework. She may have fallen and passed out, or he may have slammed her face into the stove after he told Gabby to go to her room. Either way after she woke up they had a nice long talk about boundaries.

"No. She spent the day at the clubhouse." Gabby closed the magazine she had been reading and leaned against the counter to face him. There was no way in hell Happy would have one of his 'how's life at home' talks with another brother in ear shot.

"You need to go straight to the clubhouse when you get up tomorrow. We're going on lockdown. No argument, you don't show up I'll come and fetch you myself." He added the last part when she opened her mouth to protest.

"Fine." Gabby rolled her eyes but gave in. She knew a lot had been happening with the club recently. Happy had been called away quite a few times while they had been hanging out.

"We've got a lot of men on their way here. You might have some extra customers tonight." Bobby informed her around a mouth full of Danish. Gabby simply nodded. She liked Bobby; he was the most polite to her out of all the Sons.

"When are you done?" Hap asked, getting up.

"Midnight."

"I told Leon no more midnight shifts." Happy grumbled, reminding no one in particular.

"It was 10, but Cindy called off and Lucas can't be here till 12." Gabby had learned as much about Happy as he had of her, as calm and quite as he appeared he had a nasty and very short fuse on certain subjects. She learned quickly how to sooth him.

Happy pulled her close and kissed her head before walking back around the counter. "I'll give you a ride, or I'll send somebody. No walking." She rolled her eyes and nodded. "Gabs! Not a joke sweet heart. White power comes in here you call me." He added sternly and pointed at her. He thought for a moment about leaving her one of his Sigs, but he couldn't do it. He had taught her how to use them, treat them, clean them, shoot them, but he had never left her with one. She was better, but she wasn't good, and he would never forgive himself if she used his own gun to take her life.

"Yes sir!" Gabby mock saluted as they left.

Bobby and Hap mounted their bikes. "You know she's not legal yet brother." Bobby threw over his shoulder as he put on his helmet.

"Jesus Bobby, I'm not tapping Gabby." Bobby just stared at him. "She's my kid Bobby."

"Shit brother. You better get a paternity test on that one. Her mother's the loosest sweet butt we got."

* * *

Happy needn't have worried about Gabby showing up at the clubhouse. She was roused from bed before the sun came up by Gemma pounding at the front door.

"Yes, okay, what?" She answered the door still half asleep.

"Need you to pack up all your blankets and pillows. Come on, chop chop, we gotta hit the grocery store. Where's your mother?"

"Don't think she came home last night." Gabby mumbled jogging back up the stairs to get dressed. She kicked her mother's door in and wasn't surprised to find it empty. She grabbed the pillows and blanket off the bed and chucked it all down the stairs. "She's not here Gemma." She called down as she threw clothes into a bag. She tossed it down the stairs as well before stuffing her bedding in her closet. Strange greasy bikers were not using her pillows.

"This is all of it." Gabby handed Gemma 2 more blankets from the linen closet and folded the heap that was on the floor that Gemma hadn't bothered to touch. "Why am I shopping with you?" She dared to ask as she gathered everything in her arms.

"Because you're the only one of 'em that doesn't have dick breath." Gemma muttered heading back out the door. Gabby didn't have to ask her 'them' were. Apparently she was already a sweet butt in Gemma's eyes.

* * *

After 3 hours and 2 stores Gabby finally stood off to the corner while Clay gave his short speech. Happy turned away from Juice to catch her eye. He knew how much she hated being here.

The clubhouse was packed way over capacity and Gabby didn't even bother to try and find somewhere to sit, choosing instead to tuck herself further into her corner.

"Gabby!" Gemma snapped. "Kitchen. Make these boys some food. Mary's waiting for you." Happy carefully followed his daughter's movements through the clubhouse from his spot talking to Kozik and Lorca. Gabby caught sight of her mother behind the bar serving up beers and shots to the out of town brothers. She rolled her eyes. All the old ladies were sitting together talking, the sweet butts keeping the kids quiet and serving up coffee. Must be nice to be at the top of the food chain.

"You know what I hate about lockdowns? You never know which pussy is claimed and which is free for the taking." Kozik laughed at Lorca's obvious frustration. He was right; there were way too many family members in here to risk hitting up a fresh face.

"I'm serious man; did you see that tight bitch that just went by? Fuck Koz, want to get a handful of that hair while she's down on her knees." Kozik stopped laughing as he realized the only girl who had just walked by was Gabby.

Happy realized it sooner and Kozik just barely caught the kill look flash across Happy's face and slammed his hand up against his brother's chest to hold him back. "That was Hap's kid. And she ain't legal."

"Oh shit Hap I'm sorry. I didn't know you even had a kid. No offense brother. I won't touch her." Lorca put his hands up in surrender and Happy simply growled and walked towards the kitchen.

He stopped in the doorway and watched his daughter quickly assemble and stack sandwiches onto a large tray. Happy didn't often check out his kid; he realized she was growing up but to him she'd always be the little girl who used to jump into his arms off a swing. He took a hard look at her now. She was beautiful. Her eyes were light blue and always filled with emotion. Her hair was dark, and had an almost perfect natural wave to it. She had inherited her mother's body, hourglass figure, hips you could really get a hold of, tight round ass, ample perky chest, and tapered waist with just enough meat on it to smooth out any rough edges. He knew what a body like hers would feel like under his hands, the body of a fresh girl, enthusiastic, not prematurely aged from years of heavy partying.

But he would never touch her that way, and the idea of any of his brothers seeing her like that pissed him off more than he cared to admit. She was only 17. He wanted her to grow up and decide for herself what her relationship with the club would be. He would never let her be a sweet butt, but he wouldn't object to her becoming the right man's old lady. Regardless she was a club kid, as Emily's child she would always have the club to turn too; if he continued on the path of claiming her as his own kid she would have a permanent family in the club. If she wanted it.

"Hey" she turned and smiled seeing him standing there for the first time. She lifted the heavy tray and held it out "You hungry?"

"No. Just checking up. You good? Anyone bothering you?"

"Heard a few things I'm choosing to take as compliments." She shrugged before hoisting the tray up to balance on her shoulder. He stepped aside to let her out of the kitchen.

He settled himself on a bar stool facing out so he could watch her. His eyes stayed locked on her as Tig and Chibs came up to sit by him. He watched several of his brothers blatantly and some subtly check Gabby out as she walked past them and he tried to contain his growl. This was his fault as well. He had been like her father her whole life, if he had been more open about it his brothers would know better. He had once again failed to do the right thing by the girl.

Gabby turned and made her way back towards the bar. Happy watched as eyes were pulled off the sweet butts to his girl. She was wearing jeans and a loose t shirt; she shouldn't be drawing more attention than the sweet butts. She certainly wasn't doing it on purpose. She had no sway to her walk, she wasn't laughing, or even smiling as she walked by, and she expertly dodged hands that appeared out of nowhere to cop a feel.

"Gabby's growing into a lovely young lass." Chibs commented to Emily as he snagged the beer she offered. "Must take after her ma." Chibs smirked at Emily's beaming smile. She didn't often get compliments from the bikers.

"Hope she got more than her looks from her mother. I can't wait to get my hands on that one." Tig nodded his head towards the approaching girl speaking to his brothers and ignoring her mother. He was copying Happy's pose, leaning against the bar and watching the girl. Happy let out a low growl. It was neither the time nor place to start a fight with his brother over Gabby.

Gabby walked over to the bar by way of Chibs. "She'll be making the rounds in just a few months." Emily leaned over and tucked Gabby's hair behind her ear. Gabby froze at the touch and then set her tray down on the bar.

"First thing I'm doing when I get out of prison is a mother daughter threesome." Tig looked directly at Gabby as he said it and winked.

Gabby was around the men and through the clubhouse door so quickly Happy didn't have time to react. He turned to Tig who was quietly chuckling at Chibs' disapproving scowl. "You lay one hand on that girl and I will have you withering in agony for day's brother. Spread the word; as far as this club is concerned Gabby is my child and will be treated as such. You understand?"

It wasn't so much the threatening words or even the low voice that had Tig quietly nodding his head; it was the look on Happy's face. A look Tig had only ever seen given to men his brother was about to rip apart with his bare hands.

Happy left the clubhouse in search of Gabby finding her behind the building leaning heavily against the wall.

"I'm fine." She said as soon as he got close.

"No you're not."

"I'm not going back in there."

"I've got Church in 10 and you're not safe out here."

"I'm not safe in there either." She wrapped her arms around herself and looked down at her feet. Happy knew that move well. She was ashamed and embarrassed. He knew better than to call her on it. Gabby was a fucking rollercoaster of emotions that Happy did his best to follow, interpret, dodge, and deal with.

"You know I wouldn't let Tig or any of the other guys push up on you like that sweet heart."

"It's more just the fact that they want to. Tig's old enough to be my father. Everyone in there is. And everyone in there has screwed my mother and now they're waiting for me. It's just creepy."

Happy sighed, "yeah, creepy is probably the right word for it." The croweater he had fucked a few days ago had been 2 year ahead of Gabby in school. She told him this while he stripped her and wanted to know how he knew the girl she always saw him picking up. That would make her 19. He was so not touching her again. "Come on. You need to come inside where it's safe." Happy grabbed her elbow gently to guide her towards the side entrance, granting her the favor of not walking through the bar and in front of Tig again.

"You do realize you're the reason we're not safe, right? I mean, I'm just saying," she stumbled as Happy glared at her. "You always say, the club says, that they do what they do to provide for their families and keep us safe. But what all of you do is the reason we need to be protected, and it's the reason you're always scraping by. Other people work 40 hours a week at legal jobs and manage to provide for their families just fine. And those jobs don't put their families in danger." She walked along him as she spoke feeling his hand get tighter and tighter.

"So it's my fault your life is shit?" Happy half murmured, half asked.

"No. I guess I was just wondering what I did to deserve all this. What I must have fucked up in a past life to be born into this family and not a normal one."

Happy continued to walk them to the side door and down the hall into his dorm room. He pushed her onto his bed and walked to his dresser, collecting what he would need for after Church.

"You're mad." Gabby kicked her shoes off and pushed herself back on the bed, sitting against the head board.

"I'm not mad." He emptied his pockets of everything, including ID before holstering his second Sig.

"You're mad." Gabby whispered to herself, resting her head against the head board and pulling her knees up to her chest.

"I'm not mad." He said louder and slammed the top dresser drawer closed. He turned to face her and saw the fear in her eyes. He hated when he scared her. "You're entitled to your opinion."

"But I don't have to share it."

"No you don't. But you're right." He watched her brow furor. "Normal people don't live like this. They don't do what we do, and they don't' suffer the way we suffer. I'm sorry."

"It's not your fault."

"I'm sorry for every kid born into this life. You're the ones who don't get a choice. I chose this life. My brothers chose this life. Hell, the sweet butts and the old lady's chose this life. You didn't. I'm sorry."

Gabby nodded her head and looked down at her knees, smoothing her thumb over her jeans.

"Hey." She looked up and he tossed her his pinky ring. "Try it on." She had grown out of playing with his rings. He wanted her to have one before he left for prison. Preferably his, but he would have one made for her if it wouldn't fit.

Gabby looked down at the reaper ring and slipped it on her ring finger, and then back off and on her middle finger. It fit perfectly. He walked over and sat on the edge of the bed. She went to slide it back off and he stopped her, clasping her hand.

"It fits, it's yours now." She looked down at their hands and smiled.

"Why are you so nice to me?" She asked, finally looking up at him.

He stared at her for a moment before smirking. "You remember the first time we met?"

"Yeah, I was 5, you made me grilled cheese."

"No" he shook his head. "You were 3 or so. I walked into your ma's kitchen half-dressed just in time to catch you from falling off a chair. When you were about to leave you came over and tugged on my cut. Said thank you for being nice to me. In that cute little girls voice. Melted my damn biker heart." She smiled and he leaned in and kissed her head as he always did. "Got stuff to do. Stay in here till I come back."

"Be safe Hap, please." She grabbed his hand as he pulled it away and gave it a tight squeeze.

"Always sweet heart."

* * *

Mini time jump

* * *

He had spent 5 years without her; he had said goodbye to her more times than he cared to count; but today was different. Today he was saying goodbye to her for the next 14 months. It was better than the 10 years it could have been, but looking at her now it might as well be a life sentence. He was gonna miss her 18th birthday, her entire senior year, her graduation. There was really no guarantee she would be here when he got out.

She seemed to be dealing with it better than him. She had known it was coming; he hadn't hidden anything from her these last few months. Not that she had full disclosure, but she knew about Gemma going on the lam, the trip to Belfast, and that Happy was now a member of SAMCRO. She hadn't been as thrilled about that as he thought she would be, but then he realized in her eyes it was years later then what it should have been.

Perhaps that was why she was taking this so much better than him. She was used to him leaving. This was just one more way for him to abandon her.

"You're doing that thing again." Gabby said jokingly and nudged him with her shoulder. They were sitting side by side at the picnic table at the playground by her house.

"Doing what?" he nudged her back.

"That creepy internal dialog thing."

"No I'm not." Damn she knew him well.

"Yeah you are." She hopped off the table and faced him. "14 months, I've gone longer without you around, and I'm turning out just fine." She smirked at his skeptical look. "I'll come visit you as soon as I'm allowed."

"And you'll call Kozik if you need absolutely anything." Happy reinforced.

"Can I call him every morning to tie my shoes?" She deadpanned and Happy finally let out a small chuckle. He got up and gave her a fierce hug holding her tightly against his chest. If everything went according to plan he would be in prison this time tomorrow. The thought made him pull her tighter.

"You know I love you, right sweet heart?"

"Yeah, I love you too Dad."

* * *

_So I definetly teared up when I wrote that last part, as far as I'm concerned that's the first time they've said I love you, and the first time she's called him dad._

_As mentioned above, I'm now on twitter: kiara8921_


	7. Chapter 7

_I have mentioned all the visits and talks Happy and Gabby had, but I never dwelled on them, so for those of you who wondered about their talks here is a non-crisis non dramatic talk. And then drama… of course._

_Follow me on twitter for hints on what I'm working on and chapter update info kiara8921_

* * *

Disclaimer: do not own, not for profit

* * *

2010

Age 18

"Gabby." The sight of Gabby took his breath away. He walked up to the table she was waiting at and gave her a fierce hug. He held her tight and kissed her hair. "Happy birthday sweet heart."

"Thanks dad." Visiting Happy for the first time in 5 months was the only thing she wanted to do for her 18th birthday. Her mother refused to let her visit before that.

"Kozik bring you here?" He looked around the room for his brother as they settled at the table.

"No, borrowed Charlene's car. TM was empty this morning." Happy didn't like his daughter being in a prison on her own but he wouldn't push the subject today. He didn't want to miss the first chance to see her because the undermanned club was busy.

"How have things been?"

Gabby shrugged her shoulders. "Alright, moms clean again, got a job. We'll see how long it lasts this time. School's okay."

"What are you going to do for your birthday?"

"See you" she grinned. "No other plans. Maybe I'll but a lotto ticket on the way home."

"Ooo rebel." He teased.

"Okay fine, maybe I'll get a tattoo."

"No way in hell Gabby."

"Oh my God! Says the man covered in ink!"

"You can have all the ink you want, but I'm doing it." He tapped his chest. "No one else is putting a needle to your skin."

"Yes dad." She rolled her eyes at his misdirected overprotectiveness. He'd allow her to live with a crack whore but how dare she go to a tattoo parlor.

"You start applying to colleges?"

"Yeah, on the waiting list at San Diego. Charlene got in there; she wants us to get an apartment together."

"San Diego?" He was calculating the miles in his head. "There's no Charter there."

"I know." She looked away and scratched at an invisible spot at the table.

"Fresno's the closest." He knew he couldn't stop her, and honestly a fresh start would do her good. But even if she wanted nothing to do with the club he was her father. He would go Nomad again if he had to to stay near her.

"I might not get in." She tried to calm his obvious panic.

"You'll get in. You've got good grades."

"This year I do, but my overall GPA is still below a 3.0." Happy nodded his head, her sophomore year she'd gotten straight D's, she did better her junior year after he had gone Nomad, but she'd had a lot to make up for.

"Maybe you should apply to closer schools." Happy never claimed to be subtle.

She smiled. "I have, and I don't graduate for 6 months. I could change my mind 100 times by then. I have applications out I'm waiting to hear back on and a few more to send. I might do community college, pull my grades up there. Trying to get some scholarships too. No reason to worry yet." She reached over and took his hand. She'd had to take her ring off to visit him but he ran his finger over the obvious tan line from it, she must be wearing it every day he thought, and smiled.

"I can help you cover college. I don't want you not going 'cause of money." Gabby gave him an odd look. "What?"

"You've never offered to pay for anything before. Most expensive thing you've ever bought me is dinner. You've never even bought me a pair of shoes, and now you want to pay for college?"

"You never asked for anything."

"You never offered."

"Sweet heart, I'd get you anything you really needed." Gabby retracted her hand and swallowed, sitting quiet for a moment. All she ever really needed was for him to take her away from her mother. "Sweet heart?" He watched her face and read her eyes, reaching over to clasp her hand again. She buried her unfair resentment, he wasn't her father she had no right to expect anything from him. It didn't matter now anyway, she was legal and he was locked up. No reason to hurt his feelings.

"So what's happening here? Anyone make Juice their bitch yet?" Happy sighed at her change in subject before delving into SAMCRO's prison exploits.

* * *

Gabby raced through the door after school; she had an hour to get her history paper done before her shift started. She passed the kitchen on her way up the stairs and froze, turning into the small room.

"Mom?" Gabby had found her mom passed out in every room of the house.

"Mom?" But the kitchen floor with a needle still in her hand was new.

"Mom?" Gabby fell to her knees, shaking her mother violently.

"Mom? Jesus mom what the fuck did you do? MOM!" She went to look for a pulse and retracted her hand instantly. She was cold.

Gabby rocked back and sat on the floor leaning against the table leg for support. There was no rush for 911. It didn't even dawn on her. Her mother was dead, what the fuck are you supposed to do when you find a dead body? She didn't need paramedics, do you call the cops? Could she go straight to a coroner?

The sobs came involuntarily, she hated her mother, she wished her dead a thousand times, Jesus, did she do this? She dried her eyes best she could and used the table to pull herself up to standing. The SAMCRO part of her, the Happy part of her, told her to call Kozik. Her hands shook as she skimmed through her contacts. The man wasn't the best guardian Happy could've assigned, she'd seen him twice in the 7 months since Happy had been in prison, both of those for her now monthly visitations.

He didn't answer. She called TM, no answer. Nobody ever answered the fucking phone there anymore, not since Tara had the baby and Gemma was always doting over the new grandkid, Gabby momentarily got distracted by how the damn garage still made money as the phone rang and rang. She pressed end and slowly walked to the couch. She couldn't stay in there with the body. She called 911. She didn't have anyone else to call.

The 911 dispatcher told her to do CPR, until Gabby told him the body was cold… then the man politely told her he would send someone, to not disturb the body, and that it may take several hours.

It took 3 hours and 15 minutes. It only took Charlene 10 minutes to get there after Gabby's text message. Suddenly the time it took for everything seemed to matter. How long did it take for a body to grow cold? How long had her mother been lying there?

She was given the choice of an autopsy, she declined. She knew how her mother had died.

She wasn't given a choice of funeral homes. There was only one in Charming.

Charlene took her the next morning. There was no service. Skeeter invited her to say a few words in front of the furnace. Gabby declined. She waited outside with Charlene. It took 4 hours to cremate her mother and 'process' the remains. Skeeter came out and asked her for an urn, she hadn't brought one. He returned a moment later with a small cardboard box.

"What do you want to do with her?" Charlene asked as Gabby stared aimlessly at the box in her hands.

"I don't know."

"What do you want to do now?" Charlene slowly walked her friend out of the funeral home.

"I want to go to Stockton."

* * *

Happy was in the hole. She wasn't really sure what that meant other then she wasn't allowed to visit him.

"Think you could eat?" Charlene asked her silent friend on the way back to Charming. Charlene hadn't left Gabby's side since she came over to wait for the coroner.

"No."

"You haven't eaten in 2 days Gabs. Come on, anywhere you want to go. My treat."

"I need to move." Gabby was mumbling, starring out the passenger window.

"You want to move? You want me to pull over? You want to walk?"

"No." Gabby turned to look at her best friend utterly confused. "I need to move. I blew my savings on the cremation. I can't afford the house."

"You could stay with us for a while. My mom already said it was okay." Charlene's mom didn't go out of her way to help Gabby. She worked in the bakery on Main Street, didn't have enough income to raise her own daughter and a stray, but being orphaned was different. "She said you could stay till schools out. And the summer if you want, till we go to college."

"College."

"You and me, San Diego here we come."

"Yeah…"

* * *

"Hey" Kozik jogged up the drive way still taking off his helmet.

"Umm, hi." Great, 2 weeks to get a response. And he shows up on moving day.

Kozik dodged Jeremy and his brother carrying a dresser. "I got your call. What's up?"

What's up is her mother is dead. But the words wouldn't come out of her mouth. "Nothing, I dealt with it." She walked around him to Charlene's car putting a box of dishes into the back.

"You're moving out?" Kozik looked around the yard. "Your mom know you're taking the couch?"

Gabby glanced back at Jeremy's pickup truck. She hadn't really thought through moving, but Charlene's boyfriend had taken care of everything. "She doesn't care what I take."

She headed around Kozik nodding her head at Charlene who mouthed if she was okay or not. Kozik followed closely behind. "You need help?"

"No. When can I visit Happy?" She stopped finally and turned to him.

"He's in the hole, don't know how long. I'll take you as soon as he gets out. Is something wrong?" It wasn't that Kozik minded watching over Gabby, he just didn't really see the point. The kid was fine. Happy needed to chill the fuck out.

"Nothing that can be fixed. I gotta go." The truck was full and Charlene's boyfriend needed the truck empty by noon to go to work.

"Where are you moving?" Kozik followed her back out to the car.

"I got the apartment above Floyd's."

"Alright. Listen, you need something you tell me, okay? I was in Tacoma when you called. Got here as soon as I could."

Tacoma was an 11 hour ride. It took Happy even less when she really needed him. "Don't worry about it." She slipped into the car and Charlene took off, leaving Kozik starring at them. She should have told him. But she couldn't. She couldn't tell anyone.

* * *

Happy was waiting at the table first this time. He'd spent 3 months in the hole, no visits, no phone calls, no letters. Juice had news for him when he got back to the cell from Kozik. Happy knew his kid, and if what he was hearing was true something was seriously wrong with her.

He got up immediately when he saw her and hugged her tight. "God I've missed you Gabs."

"Missed you too Hap." He'd been hoping for a dad somewhere in there, he loved when she called him dad, but she clung tightly to him and buried her face into his chest anyway.

"Sweet heart, tell me what's going on." They finally broke away and sat when the guard cleared his throat.

"Nothing, just really missed you." He took her hand and held it firmly in his own.

"Kozik said you moved out. What happened?"

"The inevitable I guess. I'm still in Charming, still finishing school."

"The inevitable? Gabby what happened? What did she do? What did she make you do?" His first thought was the club house. His brothers. And her mother's need to do anything to make those damn bikers happy.

"Nothing, no, not that Hap I swear." He let out the breath he'd been holding.

"Tell me what then."

"Can we not do this now? Please… everything's fine. I dealt with it and it's done now." She couldn't tell him either. The words just wouldn't form in her mouth. She didn't know why. She didn't really miss her mother. She wasn't glad she was dead, but it was a relief to have her gone.

"Sweet heart you're not fine. I know you, I know every facial expression, every tone of voice, tell me what's wrong."

Gabby pulled her hand out of his and held her head in both hands. "I really can't do this right now dad." She took a few breaths and brought her head back up, wrapping her arms around her middle. "What did you do to get put in the hole?"

"Don't worry about it." Gabby rolled her eyes and huffed. "What?"

"I didn't say anything."

"Gabby."

"Forget it."

"No, if you have something to say, say it. You mad at me for missing a couple visits, you think I wanted that? You want to yell at me go ahead and yell if it will make you feel better."

"I'm not mad at you; I was just curious why you were in the hole. I needed you."

So that's what this was. He wasn't there when shit went down and now she was holding it against him. "I'm here now."

"I don't need you now."

Happy swallowed the lump that formed in his throat. He knew this game; he played it often with Gabby. The only way to get her to reveal what was really wrong was to get her angry and egg her on. Eventually she would spill. "Because you dealt with it." He echoed back her earlier words.

"Yeah, I dealt with it."

"What the fuck was there to deal with?"

"I'm not doing this right now."

"Not doing what?" Happy slammed his hand on the table and Gabby jumped in her chair.

"She's dead." She barely got out.

"Jesus. Gabby…"

"She OD'd. I found her."

"Gabby." He reached across the table and snagged her hand, wishing he could hold her. "Sweet heart I am so sorry. No one told me, they should have…"

"No one knows." She starred at their clasped hands instead of his face.

"What do you mean?"

"I tried to call Kozik, and TM, no one ever picked up. Charlene came. We cremated her." Happy watched his daughter. He couldn't believe what he was hearing.

"You didn't tell the club? There was no service?" Funerals were a big affair for the club; they got higher turn outs then weddings. He searched his mind but came up empty for a sweet butt or hang around funeral. Patches certainly, and prospects, old lady's, kids, parents, but he couldn't remember going to a single funeral for a sweet butt, or even hearing about one.

"She's in a cardboard box under my couch. I don't know what to do with her. I don't want her, I just…" Her shaky voice broke and she wiped her tears with her free hand.

"Shhh, sweet heart it's okay. When I get out we'll scatter her ashes, okay? Or bury them, which ever you want." Gabby nodded her head. They spent the rest of their visit sitting in silence. Happy knew he would miss a lot of important things while he was locked up; but he never imagined this.

* * *

It was another 4 months before he saw her again, snagging a hug at TM as soon as he got off his bike. He was overjoyed that she was there but knew better then to expect her to stay. Church was quickly called and when he finally got out she was gone. He headed straight out to give Clay Opie and Jax cover for the meeting with the Russians.

"Hey." She opened the door a crack at his knock. He had less than an hour before he had to start preparing things for after the wedding, and then he would be at his mother's till god knows when babysitting the guns.

"Hey." She gave him a small smile and opened the door wider for him to come in. The place was small. Kitchen with a bar to eat at, bathroom tucked in next to the door, there was about 4 feet of space between the end of her bed and the back of the couch. Whole place couldn't be much bigger than his dorm.

"Figured you'd be getting laid." That made him stop and regroup.

"Maybe that's why I'm here." Her mouth dropped open and her eyes went wide. "That's what you get for asking about my sex life."

"Jesus." She plopped down on the couch and threw a pillow at him. "That's just fucked up Hap."

He chuckled and sat next to her. "Small place."

"Cozy." He starred her down. "Cheap." He nodded and tossed the pillow back at her. "It suits me. I like it." She smiled at his eye roll. "It's safe, on Main Street; I can walk everywhere I need to. And Floyd's wife brings me leftovers." She leaned into him and cozied up into his chest, his arm going instantly around her and smoothed her hair. She hadn't allowed him to hold her like that in years, not since she was 6 and he was still sleeping with Emily. He would wake up early and make her breakfast, and then she would curl up with him on the couch to watch cartoons.

"Are you coming to Opie's wedding?"

"Wasn't invited."

"You can come as my guest."

"That's okay." The idea of being around any of the cub guys scared the shit out of her now that she was 18. She knew Happy wouldn't let them do anything to her, but it was the comments and looks that made her uncomfortable.

"I'm gonna be gone awhile. Gonna visit my ma for a couple weeks."

"Bet she'll like that."

Happy watched the minutes tick by as they sat quietly. "You okay?"

"Yeah."

"I'll be back in a month, maybe 2."

"Okay."

"When I get back we'll go to the coast." Gabby had decided she wanted to scatter her mother's ashes in the ocean. Actually she said she wanted to scatter them in a crack house and then have Happy blow it up; he shot down that idea.

"I've never seen the ocean."

"We can make a weekend out of it." He kissed her head and shifted; Gabby stood up and gave him a hand off the couch. "I'll be in touch." 14 months in prison and he got 30 fucking minutes with her before he had to leave for another month. He was suddenly glad he wasn't really her father. As a man looking out for her he was a saint. As a father he was a piece of crap.

* * *

_Okay…so… I rewrote this chapter so many times I lost count. I finally ended up deleting an entire scene and pushing up events from the next chapter because it just wasn't working the way I had planned it. Hopefully the emotions played out the way I wanted them to._

_Next chapter is much lighter._

_How many of my readers are not watching season 5? I can incorporate what happens in season 5 or not in the next few chapters, please let me know if you don't want me too, I wrote my story outline before the season premiered so I have no problem not including season 5 events. Comment or PM if you want me to avoid spoilers for you._


	8. Chapter 8

_Short authors rant. You know what happens when 14 months go by between season 3 and 4 and then 3 weeks goes by between season 4 and 5?! There is no logical timeline I can follow. GRRRR so anyway, what year is it in the land of SOA? I have no idea. When I laid this story out I made sure Gabby would be 17 for the lock down, and worked my way backwards. (The only scenes I had when I decided to write this was gabby at 3, 5, and 17). Anyway, I have decided not to include season 5, and basically this chapter and the rest will be future/AU whatever you want to call it._

_Thank you to everyone who has read/commented/and alerted this story. You are all so awesome! This story just reached 100 comments! At 7 chapters I think that's amazing! Hopefully this next chapter is deserving of you all, a lot needed to happen and I tried to keep a quick pace. It's loooonge!_

* * *

Discliamer: Do not own, not for profit

* * *

2011

Age 19

"Gabby?" Lenard the Fresno VP greeted Gabby at the nurses' station. He had never met her before, wasn't even aware of her till a few hours ago.

"Yes?" Gabby turned, oddly comforted by finally seeing a man in a cut.

"Lenard Vasco. Your father's this way." He laid a hand on the small of her back and led her down the hall past a waiting room filled with more than a dozen more Sons who all nodded their head towards her. "He hasn't woken up yet but the doctor said he'd be okay. His helmet took most of the impact but there's some swelling around the brain. Other than that his left wrist is sprained, he's got a few busted ribs and some road rash on his left side.

Gabby nodded her head. The call she had received asking her to come to Fresno had been brief. Her father had wiped out on his bike and was in the hospital. "Can I see him?" She asked politely. She hated being around Sons, especially without Happy.

"Yeah, sure." Lenard nodded his head and walked her into the room. She stopped short when she saw him. She had never seen him look so weak and it actually scared her. She sat in the chair next to his bed and took his hand.

"What happened?" She turned her head to look at Lenard. "What really happened?" Happy did everything in his power to keep Gabby out of club business, but in the end she was still a club kid, on a lower rung of the ladder, but raised on it none the less.

"He really wiped out." The VP assured the girl.

"Going the speed limit and obeying all traffic laws?" She asked, raising her eyebrow.

"It was a chase." He conceded and she knew better then to ask for more detail. It didn't matter if Happy was chasing or being chased; he was in a hospital, not laid out on a pool table, his injuries were explainable enough that he was able to receive proper treatment.

Lenard watched Gabby for a bit. She didn't look anything like her father, she was beautiful. She was much more pale then him, had captivating light blue eyes and a completely differently shaped face.

"So you're Happy's kid?"

"Yeah." She said not looking away from Happy.

"Didn't know he had a kid, or an old lady, Vin found out when he called Charming. Happy never seemed like the settling down type."

"He didn't settle down." She said in a dismissive tone. She wasn't going into her life story with a man she'd never met.

Lenard cleared his throat, "I'll keep a prospect out in the hall. You'll have men filtering in and out of here. Don't hesitate to ask for anything you need. Please have the prospect call when Hap wakes up."

* * *

Happy watched Gabby sleep. He had woken a few moments ago and found his daughter asleep next to him, her hand firmly clutching his, her body bent over the bed, head on his unaffected right side. He didn't want to wake her. He couldn't imagine the panic she must have been in when she got the call and she looked so peaceful now.

A nurse came in and smiled at him as she took his vitals. Happy cleared his throat. "Can you get the man in the hall for me?" He whispered to her and stroked Gabby's hair when she stirred. The nurse nodded and left; a moment later the prospect slipped into the room.

"Hey, I texted Lenard that you're awake." Gabby stirred again and this time lifted her head.

"Hey."

"Hey sweet heart. Tom Tom, give me your cell and take Gabby for some coffee." It had been morning when he and some Fresno brothers took off from the clubhouse, and it was morning again. Albeit pretty damn early. He knew Gabby well enough to know she hadn't left his side since she got to the hospital.

"Yes sir." Tom Tom bounced on his heels as he answered.

"You want anything?" Gabby offered. She knew better then to protest, Happy needed to give any info he had before the crash over to the club, and there was no way he would involve her in that.

"No. Come back in 10." She nodded and slipped out quietly as she heard him accept and start dialing the phone. She allowed the extremely eager to please prospect to buy her coffee out of a machine.

"You're not what I expected Happy's kid to be like." Tom Tom said out of nowhere.

"Ummm, okay." Gaby took a sip of her coffee and cringed, setting it aside. "What did you think I'd be like?"

"Born and raised serial killer." He said sheepishly and shrugged his shoulders.

"Wow, okay."

"What was it like?" Gabby checked her phone for the time before giving him a 'what the hell' look. "Being raised by the Tacoma Killer."

"The umm…right." Gabby had never heard him called that before. Killer, yes, and she knew he had been in Tacoma for a very long time, but, Tacoma Killer? That sounded almost, official. "I don't know, I mean, he didn't really raise me like bed time stories and homework. He just visited. He tried to be there for the important stuff."

"Oh, well, what's your mom like? I can't picture Happy with an old lady." Tom Tom would have to admit he idolized Hap just a bit. He had reached legendary status in the club.

"My mother's dead." Gabby said after a short pause.

"Oh, I'm sorry. God, I didn't know, I'm sorry." He felt like an asshole.

"It's alright. It's been 10 minutes. I'm gonna go back in."

* * *

"Hey, ah, Hap?" Tom Tom ducked his head into the room. "Just wanted to let you know I'm leaving. Casper's here." He jutted a thumb out the door.

"Take Gabby with you." Happy nodded his head at Gabby who was half asleep in the visitor's chair.

"I'm good here."

"You need to sleep in a bed. Go on, you can have my room there. Come back in the morning." He patted her knee.

"I seem to remember you staying all night when I was in the hospital." She got up and leaned over the bed.

"I seem to remember you being 8." She smiled and kissed his cheek.

"Good night dad."

"Night sweet heart. Tom Tom!"

"Yes sir?"

"Anything happens to my girl I'll cut your left ear off."

"That's very specific." She squeezed his hand and grabbed her purse and jacket off the back of the chair. Happy didn't respond, just stared down the prospect her swallowed nervously and nodded his head vigorously.

Gabby nodded her head at the prospect who was now sitting outside Happy's door. Casper. He stood up at the sight of her and smiled. She smiled back and allowed Tom Tom to lead her down the hall to the elevator and down to his bike.

"I've got a car here. I'll follow you."

"Okay, cool." Tom Tom walked her to her car and told her to stay there till he swung around with his bike.

The clubhouse was completely different yet eerily the same as Charming. No garage here, but instead what must be some sort of construction company or perhaps an equipment rental company, the entire front of the lot being taken up by bull dozers and dump trucks and even a crane. The clubhouse smelled exactly the same which Gabby was not pleased with, but it had a more modern feel to it. Better furniture, bigger over all, but the same layout; bar, tables, tech corner, and the double doors hiding the chapel.

"You want a drink?" Tom Tom asked as Lenard and a full patch she now knew to be Vin came over.

"No, she doesn't." Vin nodded his head and Tom Tom took off. "No offense darling, but I ain't getting Happy's underage kid drunk."

"None taken."

"You know, when I called Bobby to ask him about family for Hap, I was thinking his ma, maybe his aunt might show up, not a kid. That news kinda surprised us all."

"Apparently Happy doesn't go around bragging about me."

"Ha ha, yeah. Course sure you know why. What your father does, he wouldn't want people thinking he had any weaknesses." Vin sat down at the table she was at followed by Lenard.

Yet another prospect came and handed out beers. "Can I get you anything miss?"

She was a bit taken aback by his offer, "umm, soda, whatever you have." He nodded and left coming back moments later with a diet coke, a regular pepsi and 2 flavors of mountain dew. "Thanks." She slipped the diet coke out of his full hands.

"Good boy Duncan." Lenard leaned up and patted the prospect on the head causing both patches to laugh.

Gabby only smiled and cracked open her soda. "You have a lot of prospects here."

"4 right now, replenishing the ranks. Got a few boys behind bars. That's why your dad's down here, filling in a hole." Vin shrugged. Happy had gone Nomad several months ago, not able to deal with the new drugs SAMCRO was mulling. Happy hated drugs. It was one of the few times he had told her about club business. The night he showed up, shortly after Kozik's memorial service. He couldn't be a part of it, and he needed her to understand why he would be gone more. He didn't want her to feel abandoned.

"They seem to be quite smitten with you." Lenard smirked, eyeing the bar where the 3 remaining prospects were all subtly staring at the girl.

Gabby choked on her soda. "Sorry, just umm…biker saying smitten…" She cleared her throat and tried not to blush at the patches starring at her. The last thing she needed was prospects hitting on her and no Happy to scare them away.

* * *

"Fuck." Gabby got back out of her car and slammed the door shut. She wanted to head back to the hospital early but her 'new' car wasn't cooperating. She and Happy had fought over the used Saturn for weeks before he finally left and she finally bought it. He had been mad when he found out but had dutifully hauled it into TM to overhaul on his next trip in town. And now the damn thing wouldn't start.

She looked back at the club house and groaned. She was now wishing Fresno wasn't so different and she was standing in front of a garage.

"Can I help?" A biker that had just pulled in came jogging over pulling his gloves off.

"Casper, right?" She recognized him from the hospital last night.

"Yeah, car trouble?"

"Yeah. It's the starter. It's been acting up, I need a new one, just…" She rested her head on the roof of her car.

"Just…"

"Nothing."

"You just don't want to deal with your car because your dad is in the hospital?" Casper whose nickname Gabby now completely understood as his hair seemed nearly white in the sun it was so blonde and she was fighting the urge to ask if he put on sunblock he was so pale, tilted his head a bit to meet Gabby's eyes as she was still facing the roof of her car.

"More like if he finds out one more thing is wrong with my car he'll personally take it to be scrapped."

"I can help with that. The secretary has a garage a few blocks over. Let me take you to the hospital, I'll come back, get your car worked on, pick you up later, he never has to know."

"Seriously?" Gabby looked up at him and swallowed.

"Seriously. I can't imagine Happy as a dad. But I'd be glad to help cover your ass." She smiled and opened the door retrieving her purse.

"Thanks." He smiled huge and walked her over to his bike. She hesitated before getting on remembering what Lenard said last night.

"Come on love; don't tell me you've never been on a bike before."

"Only my fathers." She said sheepishly while crossing her purse strap over her body. He turned and fastened his helmet on head.

"I'll be gentle. Believe me; I ain't crashing with the killer's girl on my bike."

* * *

Casper dropped her off in the parking lot and accepted her keys. She made her way back up to Happy's room and was greeted by Duncan, the very…thorough prospect from last night.

"Hi Gabby." He got up from his chair immediately. "I was gonna offer to bring you hear with me this morning, but Vin said to let you sleep."

"Thank you for the thought Duncan." She smiled at him and his whole face lit up as she passed by into the hospital room

"Morning dad." She kissed his cheek before she sat.

"You eat breakfast?" Happy was pushing his half full hospital tray away.

"Yeah, full breakfast buffet. You want me to get you something?"

"No. Fresno's taking care of you?"

"Yeah, actually had a good time last night." She had stayed up a few hours in the clubhouse talking to several Sons and a few old ladies' it was…different. They were respectful. Served her, included her. She was….family. Here she was Happy's daughter. Not Emily's.

"You hook up with anyone?"

"What?" Gabby was instantly pulled out of her thoughts.

"You get laid last night?"

"NO!"

"Why not?"

"What? Jesus Dad! Did they increase your pain meds?"

"Yes." Happy answered and shrugged.

"Oh my God." Gabby fell back into the chair.

"You're 19, you barely date. Fresno has good boys."

"Dad please just stop. You're high. If you weren't you would not be asking me why I DIDN'T have sex last night with one of YOUR BROTHERS" she emphasized carefully.

"You need to stop fighting it Gabs. You're gonna end up with a Son."

"You mean I'm gonna end up just like my mother." She mumbled, wishing she had gone with Casper to get her car fixed and avoided this whole conversation.

"NO. You will NEVER be your mother. Gabby, you're gonna be an old lady. You need to stop fighting it."

"I'm never gonna be an old lady Happy. I'm never gonna sleep with a Son."

"All girls end up with guys just like their fathers."

"Luckily you're not my father."

"I raised you god damn it."

"Dad…"

"No. You were raised by a Son, and you were conceived by a Son. Either fucking way you are a part of this club."

"Dad you're stoned. We can talk about this later."

"I want to talk about it now. I'm sick of seeing you date those losers Gabby. You need someone who's gonna take care of you when I'm gone."

"Is that what this is?" Gabby got up and sat on the bed, taking his hand in her own. "You got hurt and you're feeling your mortality?"

"Why won't you consider a Son?"

"For a lot of reasons. All valid and all mine."

"Like?"

She couldn't believe they were having this conversation, although Happy on pain killers was probably the only way he would broach the topic of who his daughter was and wasn't sleeping with.

"Like, having a guy who is gone all the time, or in jail, or cheating on me with women like my mother."

"Bull shit."

"Like not knowing who my father is and ending up with my brother or my cousin!"

"Won't happen."

"You don't know that."

"Yes I do."

He said it so definitely that Gabby's stomach flopped. She let go of his hand and stood up from the bed. "You know who he is?" Happy didn't say a word. "You know who my real father is?"

"Gabby…" He sat up and grabbed his ribs.

"Tell me." She tried to say it as calmly as possible.

"You don't want to know."

"Yes I do! How could you not tell me? How long have you known? Does he know? Does he know that I'm his?"

"We never discussed you. He may know, you look just like him. It's how I figured it out."

Gabby took a step back running through all the SAMCRO men in her mind. Most of who was there now weren't there when she was conceived. There were older members then; JT was still alive when she was born, although he died before she was old enough to remember him. Piney, Bobby, Tig and Clay. Chibs came over sometime before she was born, Uncle Tom and Chico were alive back then, and Lenny the Pimp wasn't in jail yet, neither was Otto. And those were just the Charming men; it could have been someone from a different Charter, a Nomad maybe. But no, it someone alive now, and someone with no kids. Or no Sons. She narrowed the list down in her head. Someone alive now with no son that was a Son, that was a hell of a lot of possibilities.

"I…I gotta go." Gabby hightailed it out of the hospital room.

"Gabby?" Duncan looked into the room and then down the hall where she was quickly walking. He wasn't supposed to leave Happy's room but she looked so upset. He had heard them arguing, though through the door he couldn't tell what about.

"Gabby!" He shouted a little louder and jogged down the hall; he stepped in front of her to stop her without having to grab her.

"What?" She looked up and whipped a tear from her face.

"Are you okay?"

"I'm fine. I just need air." She brushed past him and jogged down the stairs not wanting to wait for the elevator.

* * *

"Gabby?" Fuck me Gabby thought to herself as only 10 minute later another prospect found her on the curb. She had headed for the parking lot before remembering her car wasn't there and she of course had no one's cell phone number in Fresno.

"I'm sorry, I don't…"

"Bull." He offered. Gabby remembered him from last night in the clubhouse. Bull would be easy to remember, he had a giant septum piercing just like a bull.

"Hi Bull." He sat down next to her without asking permission.

"You smoke?" He pulled out his pack and offered.

"No, thanks." He nodded and started to pull one out for himself but stopped and put the pack back in his cut.

"Guess it wouldn't be nice to pollute your air." He bumped her shoulder and she gave him a small smile. "What you doing out here?"

"Thinking." He nodded his head.

"Saw Casper with your car. He's fixin' it now. You want a ride to the shop?"

"He said he would bring it here." Bull nodded.

"You want a ride somewhere other than the shop?" She chuckled and he smiled. "Come on pretty lady." He stood up and pulled her to her feet. "Fast ride is exactly what you need to clear your head of all those nasty thoughts."

* * *

"That's not what I said." Gabby threw a fry at Tom Tom. She and Bull had gone for a long ride till he was called to pick up lunch for the crew working the garage. She now sat at a picnic table with Bull Casper and Tom Tom.

Tom Tom laughed hysterically. "Come on, just admit it!"

"No way in hell!"

"What's that all about?" Vin asked pulling up to talk to Frankie the Fresno secretary and owner of the Fresno garage.

"Showed up with lunch." Frankie shrugged his shoulders as the 2 patches watched the prospects fawn over Happy's girl.

"Why ain't she at the hospital?" Vin asked, pulling off his gloves. He had spent the morning at the equipment rental company they ran next to the clubhouse. Fresno had 3 clean companies instead of SAMCRO's one. It allowed them to control a bit more of the large, drug riddled city.

"Her and Hap had a fight." Lenard came out of the office. "Duncan called freaking out, said she left to get some air and never came back. Casper brought her car in this morning for a new starter, thought she came back to pick it up, but…." He starred pointedly at the table.

"Hey!" Vin whistled at the table, "get back to work!" Casper and Tom Tom got up and headed back to the garage.

"Sorry Sgt." Bull mumbled cleaning the garbage off the table.

"Bull, switch out with Duncan, I need him on the crane."

"Sure Vin." Bull got up as well jogging off to his bike.

"Sorry Vin. " Gabby got up off the table and dug her keys out.

"Don't worry about it. These boys are a sucker for a pretty face." He brushed a knuckle down her cheek. "What happened between you and Hap?"

"Father daughter stuff I suppose." She crossed her arms and looked away.

"You should head on back there; he's getting out this afternoon. Take him back to the clubhouse; we'll keep an eye on him." She nodded and started to head towards her car. "You're welcome to stay; I don't want you to think I'm kicking you out of town." He assured her.

"We'll see."

* * *

"Hey." Gabby leaned against the door of Happy's hospital room.

"Hi." Happy was sitting on the edge of his bed fully dressed.

"Want me to tie your boots?" He looked down at his laces and back up at her.

"I didn't mean to say that shit."

"Well you did." She pushed off the door jam and walked over, tying his boots tightly.

"Any chance we can just forget it?" She stood up and he used her shoulder to steady himself as he got off the bed.

"Fuck knows I can't make you talk if you don't want to." She led them out of the room and down the hall, Bull following. The elevator ride and the walk to the parking lot were silent, along with the drive to the clubhouse and the walk to his dorm.

"You staying?" He asked as she stood up after helping him back out of his boots.

"If you want me too." He grabbed her hand to stop her from walking away.

"I don't know for sure. It's not like I did some secret blood test on you two."

"You're not gonna tell me, lets just drop it. It doesn't matter anymore." She said, doing her best to keep the quiver out of her voice and left his room, slamming the door.

"Hey!" Bull came over to her when she entered the clubhouse. "You staying, we're having a party tonight."

"A party? On a Friday? Who would've thought." She walked past him out of the clubhouse to her car.

"It workin' good for you?" Casper appeared by her side and Gabby did her best not to sigh. She felt surrounded.

"Yeah, thanks." She had already paid, what she knew wasn't nearly enough to cover the whole bill. She didn't think it was even enough to cover the parts but she wasn't gonna questions Frankie's generosity. "Thanks for taking care of it."

"My pleasure. You're not leaving yet, are you?"

"Just need to clear my head." She opened her door and started to climb inside.

"Everything okay?" He took a step forward and laid a hand on her arm.

"Everything's fine." She tugged at the door as soon as he moved and peeled out of the parking lot.

"Guess you struck out." Tom Tom laughed, walking past him. "She tore the fuck out of here man." He laughed again looking at the tail end of her car.

* * *

"You sure you don't want to stay here till you can ride, brother?" Vin asked Happy.

"No, gotta get back, shit to take care of." Vin nodded and clapped Happy on the back. Gabby was waiting to leave and Happy's bike was loaded onto a flatbed Casper was driving up.

Tom Tom and Duncan were falling over themselves saying goodbye to Gabby. Happy shook his head. If it weren't for those damn prospects he and Gabby never would have had that damn conversation. Well, those damn prospects and the damn painkillers.

"Bull's gonna follow you out."

"Really think we need an escort?"

"Partly for you, partly for the ride back. Jax ha some…stuff…for 'em to bring back here." Vin admitted.

"Right." Happy walked over to Gabby and cleared the men away with a look.

"You riding with me or Casper?" Was all she asked as she opened her door. She had disappeared after bringing him back from the hospital and spent two days AWOL, actually with Charlene in San Diego, and scared the fucking shit out of him till she came back this morning. They had yet to have any more talks or discussions.

"2 ½ hours in a bumpy truck with bruised ribs or in a car with a pissed off teenager. Maybe I'll ride bitch with the prospect."

"Okay." She shrugged her shoulders and got in her car slamming the door and starting the engine. He scrambled around to the passenger's side before she took off.

* * *

Oh yeah, he was right. 2 ½ hours with a pissed off Gabby in a car. Not one fucking word being said between them. She pulled into TM, bike in front, tuck behind and parked, letting him out. She sat in the car a moments debating before getting out herself and following him inside. She stopped however at the wall of mug shots. Going over and over all the faces.

"Look who finally came to give me that blowjob." She spun around quickly to find herself face to face with Tig and Bobby. Her breath caught and she backed up, colliding with the wall.

"When you gonna lay off the girl Tig, Happy's gonna deck you one of these days." Bobby stepped up and gave her a kiss on the cheek. "How is he?"

"He's….Happy. I gotta go." Gabby pulled her hand out of Bobby's and rushed around the 2 men.

"Hey!" Tig followed her out. "Didn't get my kiss!"

She plowed through the clubhouse door colliding with Chibs and kept going to her car, tires squealing as she pulled out of the lot.

Tig laughed hysterically as he hopped up on the picnic table. "Guess I don't have to ask what spooked the lass." He glared at Tig while speaking to Bobby.

"Was that really necessary?" Bobby asked.

"Yes." Tig answered. "Prospect, get me a beer." Casper hurried inside to grab beers for his Charming brothers, wondering why the hell Gabby had looked genuinely shell shocked upon her exit.

* * *

"Hi."

"Hey sweet heart." Happy had waited till he was healed and had his bike fixed before coming to see Gabby. He knew she needed time to cool off and think.

"You look better." She opened the door wider to let him in.

"Feelin' better." He nodded his head and sat down on her couch.

"Unless you have a name consider the subject dropped."

"No." Happy said.

"No?" She walked over and sat on the coffee table in front of him.

"You know how much I hate talking about this shit so just keep quiet and let me get through this, alright?" He waited for her to nod before he continued. "You're 19. You're on your own. You're doing okay. You have the club, and as selfish as it sounds, you have me, and I like that. I like being your dad Gabby. You hate me right now for not telling you what I know, but I don't think I could take the look on your face if you walk up to your real father and he shoots you down. Or doesn't care. Or resents you for it. I'm your dad Gabby."

Gabby nodded her head. She wanted to scream at him. He would always be her dad, knowing who knocked up her mother wouldn't change that. But maybe it would. Maybe it would hurt to find out who he really was, especially if he wanted nothing to do with her.

"Come here." He pulled her forward into his lap and nuzzled her face into his neck. She couldn't help the laugh that escaped. "What? You think you're too old to cuddle with your old man? I just nearly died, indulge me." She laughed harder as he pulled her legs out trying his damndest to get her to fit in his lap without straddling him. "Oh fuck it!" he shoved her onto the couch beside him as she dissolved into a fit of giggles.

* * *

_I've been thinking of maybe doing some shorts once this story is done. There were a few things I wanted to add that didn't fit and weren't long enough for a whole chapter, and a few important things I mentioned but didn't actually write out. Any opinions on that?_

_Again, I'm on twitter kiara8921 if you want details on how quickly I am or am not working on this and my other story._


	9. Chapter 9

_So Happy is talking a lot more now instead of being his presumebly silent self. But he is also talking more this season._

* * *

Disclaimer, do not own, not for profit

* * *

2012

Age 20

"I want you at the clubhouse tonight." Hap tried a slightly more authoritative tone. Gabby just stared at him, one eyebrow raised, arms crossed. "Please?" He added sheepishly.

"No." Gabby hadn't been back to the clubhouse since she dropped the injured Happy off 4 months ago. She'd even skipped the holidays which had pissed Gemma off something fierce. Happy had been barraged into coming back to Charming for New Years to coax her to at least that club celebration. That had worked about as well as this conversation was going.

"Please sweat heart. Fresno's coming up, the guys are gonna be asking about you." Okay, so he wanted her to come to tonight's party for multiple reasons. One being spending time with her after nearly a month in Tacoma, the other may have possibly been because Fresno had just patched in Bull and Happy was hoping to finally tie Gabby down to the club for good.

"Tell them to stop by the store and say hi, I'm not going to a Friday night party."

"I'm only in town for the weekend Gabs; I'm heading out to Vegas Monday morning."

"And if I come to the party you're gonna spend the whole night catching up with me and not drinking or fighting your brothers or watching crow eaters strip?"

"Just come for a few hours, hang with me, see the Fresno boys. You don't' have to stay all night. I promise to take you home before the orgy." Gabby referred to the last half of every club get together as the orgy. It wasn't just the loose women and horny men that bothered her, it was the fact that they had no decency about it, who wanted to watch a 20 something girl give head to a 50 something biker?

"No." Both looked up as the bell over the front door of the store jingled and a customer stopped dead at the sight of Happy and walked back out. "Great, thank you so much for that. Look, I work till 9, I have to close up. By the time I get there everyone is going to be half wasted and not remember seeing me. Come over Sunday, I'm free al day we can talk, hang, I'll cook dinner." She skimmed over Saturday as subtly as she could, she didn't need her father knowing she had a date with a civilian, especially an investment banker.

"And the Fresno boys?"

"Like I said, I'm here till 9."

* * *

It was 9:07 when she once again heard a motorcycle outside the shop. She groaned as she counted down the till and locked everything in the safe. She momentarily thought about sneaking out the back but the store was smack dab in the middle of a strip mall and she'd have to walk all the way around the entire complex to cross the street to her apartment.

She grabbed her stuff and set the alarm, quickly leaving and locking the door. When she turned around however she was shocked to see Bull instead of her father.

"Hey petty lady." He smiled and got off his bike, walking over to plant a kiss on her cheek. "Long time no see."

"Hey Bull. Oh! Congrats on getting patched, did you all get in together?"

"Tom Tom did, Duncan dropped out, Casper's still got 5 months till his mandatory year is up." She was well aware of his hand snaking its way to the small of her back as he led her to his bike. "Your father gave me strict orders to not come back without you." He informed her as they reached his bike.

"My father knows perfectly well I'm not going to that party."

"Then I guess I'm going home with you. I can't go back to the party without you."

"Oh you are so not coming home with me." She tried to joke even though she was completely serious.

"Then you better come to the party." He whispered into her ear, grazing her lobe.

* * *

Happy watched pleased as could be as Gabby came onto the lot with Bull. As far as Happy was concerned Bull was the perfect man for his daughter.

He greeted her with a kiss and wrapped an arm tight around her as he made his way to greet his fellow Nomads as well as the Fresno boys. Gabby had to admit she was enjoying herself. As long as her father was with her no one made any sweet butt remarks to her or dared to touch her.

Bull was the only one that Happy was seemingly allowing to flirt with Gabby and even his remarks were in good taste. Bull and Casper had both tagged along throughout the party with Happy and Gabby and as welcoming as Happy was to Bull he was equally as unwelcoming to Casper. The prospect wouldn't even dare flirt with Gabby and every time Gabby tried to include him in their conversation Happy would glare at him till he went silent and then refocus the conversation on Bull. Gabby really needed to teach her father subtlety she thought to herself as Casper finally gave up and wondered inside the clubhouse.

When Happy was challenged to a boxing match he left Gabby with Bull inside with specific instructions to 'not let go of her.' Happy knew Gabby despised watching fist fights and he didn't want her wondering around without an escort; or leaving.

Gabby quickly found herself being pulled closer and closer to Bull on the couch. He was telling her all about being taken under Vin's wing and being trained to hopefully be a future SAA. Gabby smiled but was completely put off. She liked Bull, he was extremely attractive and certainly knew how to be smooth with women, but the last thing she wanted was to belong to some cold hearted club assassin.

Lenard and Vin pulled Gabby away to introduce her to someone and when she walked back towards the couch she froze. Tig was leaning over Bull talking to him over the noise as they both eyed Gabby. Suddenly Tig snapped his fingers and a blond eager to please sweet butt dropped herself on Bull's lap.

Gabby tired not to feel the pang of rejection and started to make her way to Happy's dorm to wait for him and help him clean up after the fight when an arm was suddenly snaked around her waist.

"Hey doll." Tig whispered in her ear and she froze. "Took care of the half pint, now it's just you and me. So glad you came around baby, I was starting to think I might never get to feel that tight ass of yours." It took less than a second after he finished for her to throw his arm off of her and quickly rush through the clubhouse. Tig laughed hysterically as she left and grabbed another sweet butt for himself and headed back to the dorm.

Casper got up from his stool by the pool table. He had watched the entire thing play out since Gabby and Bull had first sat down on the couch. He shoved his beer at a passing sweet butt and quickly made his way out to his bike pulling out and heading towards Main Street.

He caught up to Gabby quickly and pulled into a drive just ahead of her to block her path. She stumbled back when she saw the bike until he took off his helmet. She took a few steps forward as she let out large sigh of relief.

"Gabby, you okay?" He put the kick stand down and got off his bike.

"Yeah, yeah I just, I just need to get home."

"What did Tig say to you?" He asked, seeing her glossy eyes in the moonlight.

"Same shit he's been saying since I turned 14." She wrapped her arms around herself and looked behind her like she was expecting the boogie man to show up. I'm just gonna…" she trailed off and pointed behind him.

"Oh, yeah, umm, come on, I'll give you a ride. It's like 2 am you shouldn't be walking alone out here." Casper had to shake his head to stop staring at her. He would easily admit he was awestruck by this girl and the panicked look on her face when she left the clubhouse had made his heart and stomach both clench up.

"Thanks, but…"

"Gabby, your dad finds out you walked home he's gonna throw a fit."

A small smile finally escaped her lips and she took the helmet he handed her, climbing on the bike after him.

The ride to her apartment was only another 6 or 7 minutes from where she had walked to and he pulled up in the alley right next to the outdoor staircase.

She climbed off immediately and handed back the helmet while fishing her keys out of her pocket. "Thanks Casper."

"My pleasure." She started to walk away and stopped, turning around.

"Did you by chance hear what Tig said to Bull when I walked away?" She asked.

"Yeah, he uh, well he said…" Casper huffed and decided to just blurt out the rest. "He said Bull wasn't going to get into your pants in one night and he would trade him for a sure thing. Bull agreed and umm, thanked him." He probably could have kept the last bit to himself, but it really bugged him that Bull had thanked Tig 'for looking out.' It had emphasized what Bull was really after.

"Oh, umm okay." She brushed a strand of hair behind her ear and hurried up the stairs. She heard the motorcycle rev up only once her door was shut and locked.

* * *

Happy made his way inside the club house high on his win in the ring. He wanted to sneak off to his dorm and clean up before Gabby saw him but upon making his way to the back hall he glanced over at the couch and spotted Bull getting head from a blonde and his daughter nowhere in sight.

He threw his bloody shirt at a sweet butt and stomped over to the couch pulling the woman off her knees and throwing her to the side. "Where the fuck is Gabby?" He seethed at the young patch that was still fastening his pants.

"I umm, I, she, she left." He stumbled.

"She left?"

"The party, she left the party."

"How the fuck did she get home?" He wrapped his bloody fist in the man's shit and picked him up off the couch.

"How the fuck should I know?"

"You brought her here ass wipe."

"Look, bro…Happy" he quickly corrected himself as Happy did not seem pleased to be called this man's brother at the moment. "Tig wanted to trade, she walked out on him, not me."

Happy dropped Bull back onto the couch and looked around failing to spot Tig. He finally stormed towards the dorms pounding furiously on Tig's door.

"WHAT!?" He answered in nothing but open jeans.

"What the fuck did you do this time?" Tig grinned and licked her lips.

"Girl's got no place in this clubhouse Hap. I just made sure she wouldn't come back." Happy's eyes narrowed and Tig subconsciously took a step back into the room.

"This has to stop."

"Go ahead Hap, take a swing. Tell me stay the fuck away from _your_ daughter." He pointed at the man's chest before slamming his door shut and locking it.

Happy punched the door as hard as he could and then stormed into his own room ripping his cell phone out of his pocket.

"Gabby?" He spoke as soon as the ringing stopped.

"I'm home. The doors locked. Enjoy your party." The phone clicked off before he got another word out.

* * *

Happy pulled himself out of bed around noon and cleaned up. He had drunk himself into near unconsciousness last night so as not to remember the horrific sound of Gabby's voice over the phone.

He stopped by the shop first only to find out Gabby had the whole weekend off, not just Sunday. He left his bike there and jogged across the street and up the stairs, knocking politely instead of letting himself in per usual.

"Hi." She opened the door barely a crack to greet him.

"Hi." He sighed; he was really hoping to apologize for last night without playing her games.

"If you're here to apologize just leave. I don't want to hear it." She pulled back and started to close the door but he stuck his boot into the opening. She did her best to stop him from opening the door further.

"Tig's an asshole. Whatever he said or did, it's because he's an asshole."

"And what you did. With Bull, with Casper."

"Yes, okay, I tried to set you up with Bull. I want you with someone who's going to take a bullet for you and kill the shooter with his last dying breath. Not some guy sitting on the sidelines asking if you're okay."

"Bull, your future SAA abandoned me for a sweet butt the second he realized I wasn't gonna put out. And your sidelined too soft prospect gave me a ride home and didn't even try to come upstairs."

"Gabby…"

"No dad. Just stop playing matchmaker. You're not good at it. If I'm meant to be with a Son it will happen. You can't force it. And you can't force which one." She opened the door as she spoke and he pushed his way inside.

"You're right, okay. Bull's an arrogant prick. Getting that patch blew up his ego. Just promise me you won't write off the rest of them." Gabby scoffed at the fact that he totally missed that the only Son she was remotely interested in was Casper at this point. It was like the poor prospect wasn't even in his line of sight.

"Can't I be with you without being with the club? We have a good thing. I need you, I want you. I don't want the club."

"The club is your family Gabby."

"You are my family. And I can start another family, with any guy, not just a Son."

"I am the club." Happy defended himself.

"No, you are Happy. Happy Lowman, you are a member of that club and you are my father. You can be both of those things. Separately."

"So that's it. No more club, your entire family, your entire childhood, just write all that off." Happy waved an arm through the air.

"I just want to figure out who the hell I am. Maybe I'm club, maybe I'm not, but it's my life and my decision." Happy sighed and looked his daughter over. She was upset and on the verge of tears.

"Okay. I won't push. No more parties, if and only if, you do the holidays."

"National holidays or club holidays?"

"Family holidays."

"Fine. Easter, Thanksgiving, and Christmas."

"Halloween and New Year's."

Gabby walked over to her dresser and huffed picking up and putting in a pair of earrings. "Fine. No St. Patrick's day!" She warned. Happy chuckled and nodded, realizing for the first time Gabby was in heels and a dress.

"Are you going out?"

Gabby chewed her lip for a moment. "I have a date."

"WITH WHO?"

"What did we just go over?!"

Happy wiped a hand over his face and took a deep breath. "You look nice. Who is this lucky fellow that will be accompanying you around town this fine evening?" He asked in the most sarcastic tone his gravelly voice would allow.

Gabby crossed her arms. "His name in George. He's taking me to dinner. And you can sit on the couch cleaning your gun as long as you want, he's not picking me up, I'm meeting him there."

"He's too good to pick you up?" He ignored the dig seeing as he had in fact done that before on 2 separate first dates of hers.

"It's a first date. If he ends up being a psycho I want to have my own car so I can crawl out the bathroom window and escape."

"That's not funny." Happy took a step towards her.

"Chill I have the .38 I'm not an idiot." Gabby held up her evening bag containing the small gun her still overprotective father had finally gotten her and trained her on when he went Nomad after prison.

"Fine." He walked up to her and kissed her on the head. "We still on for tomorrow?"

"If you're free."

"I am." She kissed his cheek and picked up her keys to leave. "Gabby."

"Yeah dad?" She turned around at the door.

"You really do look nice."

Gabby slowly smiled. "Thanks dad." She opened the door and stepped through, turning around to pull it closed. "I'll know if you follow me!" She yelled before closing it and headed down the stairs.

* * *

_Twitter: kiara8921_


	10. Chapter 10

_so right now i have about 3 ideas for one shots after this story is done, but please let me know if you have any requests. I want to decide on them all so i can post them in order. I know, OCD much?_

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Discalimer: do not own, not for profit

* * *

2013

21

Happy let himself in to Gabby's tiny apartment. He hated that she still lived here but she said this place suited her, and he had to agree. He could hear her in the small shower and there was a dress and heels laid out on her bed. Perhaps his visit was ill timed, but he hadn't been able to make it down for her 21st birthday last week and he felt guilty as hell about it.

He had just grabbed a beer from his own stash when her shower kicked off and she came out in a short towel. "Dad!" She yelled when she saw him. He thought for a moment he had startled her but a second later he had the young dripping wet girl in his arms.

"Hey sweet heart, Happy Birthday" he rubbed a hand down her back and kissed her wet hair. "Gabby you okay?" He pushed her back to look at her when she continued to just cling to him.

"No" she half mumbled, and Happy walked her back to the bathroom, grabbing her robe and helped her put it on. He may think of her as a daughter, but she wasn't, and she had grown into an extremely attractive woman. It just made him more comfortable to have her covered.

"Tell me what's wrong. Is it the douche bag?" He asked referring to her current boyfriend. He had never met him, but from everything he heard about him he hated the man.

"George" Gabby automatically corrected him and pulled out a ring box handing it to him.

"George" Happy repeated; drawing out the name like it was a foreign word. He took the box and opened it, revealing a delicate but very expensive looking engagement ring. It was beautiful, and he knew instantly it was nothing like what Gabby would ever wear.

"He proposed." She finally wailed, not able to wait for his reaction.

"You're supposed to wear this." Was all Happy could manage. George was all wrong for Gabby; he was forever trying to change her. But Gabby was convinced he could give her the normal life she was so convinced she wanted.

"I didn't say yes." He snapped the box shut and handed it back to her. "And I didn't say no. I told him I needed time. We've only been dating 7 months. Who proposes after 7 months?!"

Happy cringed. He loved Gabby, but that didn't make him any good with her girly emotional side. He sighed and leaned against the back of the couch. "Do you want to marry him?" He asked calmly and slowly hoping it would calm her down.

"I should want to marry him." She opened the box back up. "He's a really nice guy. He has a good job, and a house, and he goes to church every Sunday. He brings me flowers at work, he doesn't curse, or smoke, and this ring! This is a nice ring." She snapped the box closed again.

"So marry him." He shrugged his shoulders. He knew she wouldn't; he crossed his arms and waited for it.

"I don't want to marry him!" She groaned and dropped down on her bed.

Happy smirked at how well he knew his girl and then sighed and walked the short distance to the bed. He squatted down in front of her. "So don't marry him." He said, resting his hands on her knees.

"He's a normal guy, he's a good guy. He's the kind of guy girls dream about. And this ring…" She opened the box again.

"That ring," Happy snapped the box shut and dropped it into the inside pocket of his cut. "Is a dainty little thing you wouldn't be caught dead wearing." He took her hand and ran his thumb over the skull ring she never took off these days.

"And you know that! And he should know that. The guy I marry should know that, right?" She sighed and fell back on the bed. "I just don't want to be my mother."

Happy sighed and stood up straight, pulling her up to her feet as well. "You're not your mother. If you were you'd be on your knees sucking me off, not bouncing shit off me like one of your girlfriends."

"I'm sorry." She rested her head against his chest.

"You are not a crow eater, you're not a whore. You don't have to marry some vanilla geek to prove it. You will never be your mother." He kissed her head and grabbed her phone off the night stand. "Tell him no. Break it off. We can spend the rest of the night getting wasted. Which, by the way, was my initial plan for your belated birthday bash."

She took the phone and looked at the now wrinkled dress on her bed. "I'm supposed to meet his parents tonight. They flew in from North Carolina. We're having dinner at the country club." Happy simply crossed his arms and stared pointedly at the phone. "I can't just tell him over the phone Dad, I mean, 7 months. If he broke up with me after 7 months over the phone I'd be crushed. And you" she pointed at him "would beat the shit out of him for doing it."

He opened and then quickly closed his mouth. She had a point. "Call and cancel dinner, break it off later."

Gabby sat on the bed once again resigned. Happy grabbed his beer from the kitchen where he had left it and flipped on her TV, sitting on the couch, giving her as much privacy as possible in the small studio. He listened intently however to her multiple calls, sighs, and groans. At one point she locked herself in the bathroom to talk more privately. Finally she sat down next to him on the couch with a resigned 'plop'.

"So apparently I'm being rude and childish." Happy looked at her carefully. Gabby often got on his nerves with her good girl attitude these days. She wanted to be respected and thought of as anything other than what she thought was, the bastard child of a crow eater and a yet to be determined biker. She tried so hard to be different that she was losing sight of who she really was. The Gabby he knew as a pissed off teen would scream fuck you into the phone and be done. But not this girl. At least not until she got pushed to the very edge. And that, Happy would pay to see.

"Okay get dressed lets go meet the parents." Happy clapped his hands on his knees and got up. "And you're not wearing that, we're taking my bike, jeans and boots." He added, nodding his head to the dress and heels still on her bed. "Come on hop to it, wouldn't want to keep douche bag and his parents waiting would we?"

"We?" Gabby asked tentatively, standing up again.

"We." Happy pushed her to her dresser. "You got 10 seconds before I start dressing you myself."

Gabby stumbled for half of that before finally opening a dresser drawer. Happy settled back on the couch and waited for her to finish. He figured the jerk would take one look at Happy and send them both away. And if he didn't; Happy smiled at the possibilities but then swallowed back his normal reaction of beating heads. Gabby had to do this herself; she had to find herself again.

She appeared in front of him in jeans boots and a simple blue tank top under an oversized plaid button down. He couldn't help but smile, it was the exact same, except for the colors, of the outfit she wore the day he picked her up hitchhiking to Lodi. He ushered her out the door and onto his bike, ready to get this part of the evening over with so he could have some quality time with his kid.

* * *

He pulled in to the country club parking lot and felt Gabby squeeze him tighter, which probably meant the man in the Dockers and blazer gaping at them was her soon to be ex.

"Gabby! Cupcake! You're late, what are you wearing? Where's the dress I bought you?" George came running over once Gabby got off the bike and removed her helmet.

"George, we need to talk." Were the first words out of her mouth.

"I know you want to talk, and I know what you want to say. I already told my parents. You didn't wear the ring." He added grabbing her hand.

Happy put down his kick stand and got off his Dyna, this was obviously not going to be as easy as he'd hoped.

"No, no George I need to talk to you." Gabby tried again as George pulled her towards the door. Happy watched the man manhandling his daughter into the restaurant and quickly followed on instinct. George didn't even realize it till the host gave the threesome a horrified look.

"He can't eat with us" George whispered in Gabby's ear loud enough for Happy to hear.

"If you want me at that table he's coming too." Gabby automatically answered.

"You're here to meet my parents." George continued to calmly walk her towards the back where his parents were semi patiently waiting.

"Well Happy's my only parent and I think it's about time you met him." Happy grinned both because he liked being called Gabby's parent and because he'd fantasized many times with 'meeting' George, usually in a dark alley with a large machete.

"Mom, Dad this is Gabriella." He thrust her forward a few steps. "Gabby, dear, this is my Mother and Father." George displayed them like they were a game show prize.

"It's nice to meet you." She gave them a very small polite smile and then glared at George for a minute.

"Oh, and this is Happy, Gabby's friend." George offered up as an introduction.

"Her father." He growled out and George's mother flinched at the sound of his voice.

"Right." George glared back for a moment trying to be brave, but then swallowed and looked away, pulling Gabby's chair out instead. Happy swept the table, seeing it was set for 4, and grabbed a chair from another empty table sitting it at the head next to Gabby.

"Gabriella dear, George has told us so much about you. You must be so excited for the wedding." George's mother started.

"The wedding?" Gabby asked, choking on the water she had just taken a sip of. George took the water away like a steak knife from a child and Happy let out a low growl.

"Oh, Mother, it's only been a few days. We haven't discussed a thing." George stepped in.

"Let's see the ring dear." His mother leaned in across the table.

George clasped Gabby's hand. "Unfortunately the ring had to be sized, but I'm sure it will be ready before you have to leave us."

An uncomfortable silence developed after the waiter took their drink orders.

"So," George's father cleared his throat, "what do you do for a living Mr. Happy?"

Gabby couldn't hide her grin as Happy's jaw muscles twitched. "He's a biker." George filled in.

"I didn't realize driving bikes was a career." George's mother sounded mildly curious.

"Happy is a mechanic and a Harley enthusiast." Gabby offered as an explanation doing her best not to giggle at Happy's horrified look at the line 'drive a bike'.

The table slipped into another uncomfortable silence. The drinks were brought to the table and the meals were ordered, George's father ordering for his wife and George following suit and ordering for Gabby. Happy rolled his eyes at Georges order. He ordered her a shrimp salad, how could he not know she was allergic to shell fish? And then when she tried to remind him he had shushed her and patted her hand.

Happy resisted the urge to pounce on him though; he was too busy studying Gabby. She wasn't quite as complacent as he was afraid she had become and he could almost see her resolve to get through the meal running thin. Just one more good nudge and she was likely to explode.

And then it happened. Happy watched on delighted as George quietly berated Gabby for picking at her food. Gabby's head snapped up and her eyes were burning with pent up rage. She politely cleared her throat and excused herself from the table, loudly whispering in George's ear "Outside Now." She grabbed her purse and high tailed it out of the restaurant, George got up thoroughly confused and followed her. Happy downed the rest of his scotch, his 3rd since sitting down and nodded his head towards George's startled parents. There was no way he wasn't gonna be out there to back his kid, plus he just fucking wanted to see this.

His long strides allowed him to catch up with the young couple quickly and he exited the doors just a moment after them.

"Gabby that was rude, what's gotten into you?" George demanded.

"What's gotten into me?" She yelled sarcastically. "You George! You are what's gotten into me. You treat me like a child. You're disrespectful to my family. You told your parents I said yes. I didn't say yes George!"

"But you will, Cupcake please…"

"No, don't call me that, I hate when you call me that! And where do you get off buying me clothes to wear? News flash George, I'm not a Barbie, my personality isn't magically altered by a new outfit!" Gabby violently pulled her elbow out of Georges grip as she yelled.

"I thought you wanted this, I thought you wanted to be with me, I thought you wanted this life." He waved his hand at the country club.

"I did, I do, but wanting more out of my life doesn't mean I'm ashamed of who I am or where I came from!"

"Well maybe you should be! Maybe you should be embarrassed to be seen with those criminals instead of dragging them out to country clubs! He's not even your real father! You don't know even know who your real father is!"

His last sentence was punctuated by the sickening crack of Gabby's fist colliding with his face. Happy watched on proud as can be as George's head snapped back and he lost his footing and stumbled back before falling on his ass. Gabby took a step back in shock of what she had done, her soon to be swelling hand going to cover her mouth.

Happy walked over to her quickly before she did something stupid like apologize. He put himself between Gabby and George and picked the man up off the ground by the front of his shirt. He took a moment to enjoy the boy's face; his nose was gushing blood and his eye was beginning to swell shut. Happy took the ring box out of his cut pocket and held it up where George could see it.

"I think you'll find your first mistake was not asking for my permission." Happy grinned and stuffed the entire ring box into George's gapping mouth. "You come near my kid again, you call her, you look at her, you talk about her, you fucking say her name, and I'll come back and finish what she started. You understand me?"

George nodded his head frantically and Happy dropped him back onto the ground. He could hear police sirens in the distance and looked back at the restaurant doors to see a rather large crowd watching, including George's dear parents.

"Dad" Gabby had finally snapped out of it and was snapping her helmet on and holding out his.

"I hear 'em." He grabbed the helmet quickly and threw it on, both of them jumping on his bike and racing off before the cops got there.

* * *

"Prospect beers and ice." Happy snapped as soon as he opened the club house door. He had been carefully glancing at Gabby's hand on the ride over and it had swollen pretty badly. Judging by George's face she had probably broken something.

"And food." Gabby added in a much more pleasant voice. It was going on 8 now and her stomach was growling after not being able to eat her dinner.

"What you want sweet heart?" Happy snatched the ice from the prospect and gently held it on his daughter's busted hand as they both took a seat at a table.

"Nothing on a country club menu." She took her beer after the prospect opened it and gulped down about half. "I can't believe I did that." She groaned and rested her face in Happy's shoulder. Happy laughed and wrapped an arm around her. He was very protective of her in the club house these days, and she only ever came there with him.

"Get us a pizza, and wings." He eyed Gabby, "and chocolate." The prospect waited a second longer for more instructions like for example, what kind of pizza wings and or chocolate but only got glared at so he scurried away.

"God I am so humiliated."

"Hey" he turned her face to look at him. "I'm proud of you. You stood up for yourself, and your family." He kissed the top of her head. "How's the hand?"

She removed the ice and flexed it, wincing, "probably better then George's face." She smirked and Happy started laughing before calling Chibs over to look at her hand.

* * *

"What the hell is she doing here?" Tig walked into the clubhouse with Jax and stopped dead upon seeing Gabby at a table with Happy.

"Not today Tiggy. Leave her alone." Bobby warned steering him to sit at the bar with himself and Chibs.

Tig glanced over and watched her pick at her pizza while Happy held ice to her other hand. "How'd she get hurt?" He asked turning back to the bar and grabbing a beer from a prospect.

"Broke up with her boyfriend." Bobby shrugged his shoulders.

"The banker guy?!" Tig wiped around in the stool again to look at Gabby.

"How'd you know he was a banker?" Jax asked joining his brothers.

"Huh? Oh umm, think Hap mentioned it a few times. 'Bout his girl dating some pussy banker." Tig took a long swig from his beer.

"Yeah, well apparently she decked him in the parking lot of the country club." Bobby filled Tig and Jax in.

"Shit, seriously? Didn't think that girl had it in her." Jax spit out his own sip of beer. Jax, like his older brothers, had watched Gabby grow up. She was the first club kid born to a sweet butt. He remembered his father's uproar about it. JT yelling at Gemma that illegitimate children weren't what this club was about. That it couldn't happen again. That she had to convince Emily to keep the baby. He wouldn't have a dead child on his conscience. Jax realized only now that his father's anger had probably been misplaced, considering his own illegitimate daughter in Ireland.

"Yeah Jackie," Chibs clapped him on the back. "Would've paid to see it. Hap said it was beautiful. An' by the looks of her hand I'd say that boy o' hers got what was coming to him."

The men laughed as Tig continued to stare at the table. Happy took the ice away and checked Gabby's hand, making her flex her fingers. She hissed in pain and Happy poured her another shot from a bottle on the table and kissed her head.

Tig slammed down his bottle and stormed out of the clubhouse.

"What the hell's his problem?" Jax wondered out loud.

"Same shit that's always up his ass around the lass." Chibs mumbled, eyeing Bobby whom smirked back.

* * *

_twitter kiara8921_

_So today there was a video on yahoo of dad's singing a little mermaid song. It made me go back and rewrite the scene where Happy snaps at the prospects and then turns right around and asks all sweetly, "What you want sweet heart?" lol. The story was about even the most macho dad doing things they never imagined for their daughters._


	11. Chapter 11

_Thank you everyone for all the comments! I got back to a lot of you, but not all. But I really appreciate each and every one of you who keep coming back to my story!_

_Sorry for the slightly longer wait, this chapter ended up being a lot longer than I thought. Getting close to the end, starting my list for one shots so please tell me if you have any ideas._

* * *

Disclaimer: do not own, not for profit

* * *

2014

22

"I don't think I heard you right, that sounded like a no." Happy leaned against the kitchen counter waiting for Gabby.

"You heard me perfectly fine, no." She turned back to her laptop and snuggled further into her bed.

"You promised me all the holiday parties." Happy reiterated.

"Dad, I went to the New Year's eve dinner at Gemma's. I didn't put up a fight when you took me back to the club house. I stayed the whole night. Got up in the morning, was coerced into helping with clean up with all the other crow eaters and then ended up cooking New Year's Day brunch for a bunch of hung over bikers." She finally slammed her laptop closed. "Now you come over at 11 at night, I'm already in bed, and you say there is another 'family' New Year's celebration to go to. NO."

"You promised me." He defended, arms crossed.

"You're taking advantage of my promise."

"Yes I am, now get your ass out of bed and come with me."

"You're also taking advantage of the key I gave you." Gabby ignored his plea for her to come with him.

"You take back my key I'll just start picking the lock." He warned and walked out of the kitchen and leaned on the back of the couch facing Gabby's bed; which earned him a glare. "Tacoma's gonna be there, and Portland and Rouge River, Indian Hills, Fresno… Come on, Vin and Lenard are always asking me about you, and I know you like Donut."

"Donut thinks my name is Abby." Gabby corrected her father and crossed her arms.

"No, that's just a joke, he likes to tease. Come on sweet heart, there's gonna be a lot of new guys there to…" Happy stopped himself a little too late.

"To what Dad? Play bachelorette with? To throw myself at? Seduce?" Gabby hadn't dated since slugging George and Happy had used her promise of holiday's with the club to introduce her to any man under 30 that lived up to his standards.

"Really don't have to seduce these guys Gabs." Happy tried to lighten the mood.

"Right, just have to blow them in the club house while they watch other women strip."

"I better not catch you blowing a guy in the club house." Happy got up off the back of the couch. Gabby smiled at her father's short fuse.

"Does that mean you want me to be the one stripping or that I should just go right to the dorm rooms with them?"

"Gabby." He started in a warning tone but stopped. She was trying to piss him off so he'd storm out and not make her go. He'd fallen for it at Thanksgiving and had to turn back around to get her cursing and swearing when he realized it.

"Get up, get dressed, or I will throw you over my shoulder and take you as is." He said in a deadly calm voice. Gabby looked down at herself. She was in a camisole and boy shorts. She looked back up at him with a 'you wouldn't dare' look on her face.

"10." Happy said slightly louder. Gabby just looked at him. "9." He said taking a step closer. Gabby rolled her eyes. He hadn't counted down to get her to do something since she was 6 years old.

"8." He took the laptop off her bed and set it on the dresser. "7."

"Are you seriously counting down? I'm 22!"

"6."

"Okay! Jesus."

"5." Gabby jumped out of bed and grabbed her jeans off the hook on the closet door. "4." She hopped around getting the jeans on. Happy tried hard not to smirk, "3."

"Oh my god!" She huffed, slipping her feet into a pair of tennis shoes sans socks.

"2." She pulled Happy's hoody from last night off the couch and shoved her arms into it. "1."

"Done!" She pulled her hair out of the hoody and held her hands out to stop him from picking her up.

"Let's go." He pulled out his keys and grabbed one of her hands tugging her out the door.

* * *

Gabby followed her father through the throng of people earning several hugs and smiling politely at the men who greeted her father with a scream of 'killer' and a hearty pat on the back.

"Abby!" She heard just before she was lifted off the ground in a bear hug.

"Hi Donut." She rolled her eyes at Happy as she was set back down.

Happy snorted, covering it up with a cough. He had been carefully to keep Gabby his little secret as much as he could, at least till he put Kozik in charge of her while he was in prison. When he got out he found out Kozik had told all of Tacoma about his secret. "Why don't you go inside sweet heart, I'll be there in a minute."

"You sure?" She asked, extremely uncomfortable with the idea of walking around on her own.

Hap took a look around and spotted Tig with Bobby talking up some Indian Hills brothers. "Yeah, it's fine." No one besides Tig would say anything to his girl.

Gabby headed inside the clubhouse hoping to find a Charming prospect to hang with. She knew Happy had put the fear of God into all of them to look out for her.

"Good, you're here. You're late." Gemma said backing up after colliding with Gabby at the kitchen entrance. "Nice outfit." She added.

Gabby looked down at herself. She really couldn't care less. "Thanks Gem, picked it out just for you."

"Right." Gemma thrust a try of meat at her. "Take this outside to the grills. Then I need you behind the bar tonight." She added over her shoulder walking away.

Gabby's head snapped back to Gemma so fast they could both hear it. "Excuse me?" Gemma turned back around slowly. Gabby thrust the tray of meet at a passing sweet butt and walked up to Gemma. "I'm not a bartender."

"Aw Hun, it's not hard just pass out beers and pour shots. No one drinks fancy shit around here." Gemma patted her on the shoulder and started to walk away.

"No Gemma." Gabby grabbed Gemma's arm and pulled her back. "I'm not Here tonight to be a bartender. I'm here as a guest."

Jax looked up from greeting Jury at the bar just in time to see Gemma pat Gabby and walk away and Gabby grab Gemma. He all but rolled his eyes as he caught Tara's gaze and nodded over to the women. It was all the silent communication the new SAMCRO queen needed before she headed over.

"You're here to do whatever the fuck I tell you to do you little tart." Tara got there in time to hear Gemma seethe at Gabby.

"Gabby is here with her father Gemma, she's not here to see to your needs." Tara said calmly.

"I am in charge…" Gemma started.

"No Gemma." Tara interrupted, "I am in charge. I allow you to plan these parties and see after the girls. But I have the final say here." Gemma scoffed and stormed back into the kitchen.

"Thanks Tara." Gabby sounded slightly embarrassed that someone once again had to stand up for her in the clubhouse. She really wished Happy saw this part of her evening, maybe he would finally stop dragging her here.

"No problem, I love any valid excuse to tell Gemma off." Tara smiled and Gabby smirked back. "Can I ask you something Gabby?"

"Of course."

"Why does Gemma treat you like that? As far as I can remember you've never slept around with these guys."

"Cautionary tale." Gabby shrugged.

"What do you mean?"

"My mother was a sweet butt."

"But Happy's your dad." Tara shook her head not seeing the problem.

"He's not. Whoever my father is…he didn't claim me. I was the first accident. Gemma turned my mother and me into a cautionary tale. She didn't get old lady status by getting knocked up and I…"

"Get no special treatment for maybe being the daughter of a Son." Tara nodded her head in realization.

"Suppose it worked in the end. Not many of the girls stay pregnant….." Gabby heavily inflected the 'stay' and Tara again nodded her head.

"But with Happy, I mean, the guys see you as his. Why doesn't he enforce that with Gem?"

"Since when do these guys get involved in old lady and sweet butt disputes?"

* * *

Happy Vin and Lenard stood at the bar watching Gabby play pool with Lox, the newest Indian Hills prospect and Casper. "How long has it been for Casper now?"

"Year and 8 months." Lenard informed him. "Surprised your girl over there hasn't gotten swept up yet."

Happy scoffed. "Close call with a civilian last year."

Vin shook his head. "The Tacoma Killer's daughter marrying a civilian? What, you kill him?"

"Nah, Gabby broke his nose." Happy beamed, it was one of the proudest moments of his life.

Lenard spit out his bear. "That little mouse punched somebody?"

"She's my kid; you think I didn't teach her how to fight? So what's wrong with Casper?" He asked, eyeing the man currently making his daughter smile and blush. He wasn't too worried; yet, Bobby was in earshot of the table and would surely alert Happy to anything over the line.

"I don't know, he's a good kid, wiz on the computer. He just doesn't have that outlaw gene in him, you know? No fighting, just no heart for it I suppose." Lenard sighed. He liked the kid. Would probably keep him on as an employee after all was said and done. But if he didn't show some killer instinct soon Vin and the rest were ready to give up on his ass.

"Juice ain't exactly the toughest SOB in Charming, but gotta give the kid his props, that computer shit really comes in handy these days." Happy said before he thought about it. Why was he defending the kid he thoroughly dismissed when Gabby showed interest in him?

"Oh hell yeah man, he's done fake ID's, hacking, last month he got into a bike dealers security system and changed some time codes, gave 3 of my men a solid alibi. He just, you know, ain't got that SOA spark." Vin added to Lenard and Happy's discussion. "Now this guy," Vin pulled a younger brother over who was on his way to the bar, "he's got the fucking spark man. Hap meet Shark. Just transferred in from Florida he's a mother fucking surfing biker!"

"Happy." The young Son shook his hand firmly before hugging him.

"Shark, how you liking Fresno?" Happy asked, obviously looking him over like a piece of tail. He was a few inches shorter than Happy but built with the same lean muscle. He wasn't covered in ink, but he had his fair share.

"Shark loves Fresno." Vin interrupted. "He just bought a house there, nice 3 bedroom ranch. Not too bad for a 27 year old." Vin smirked and patted the boy on the back. Lenard and Vin both wanted Gabby to hook up with a Fresno boy. Everyone loved her there, and having the Killer's daughter in town also meant regular visits from the killer himself, which usually came in quite handy.

"Yeah, so you're settled there, not thinking about going back to Florida?" Happy continued his near interview of the man. He wanted Gabby out of Charming, but no way in hell was she leaving the west coast.

"It's good to be home, I grew up in San Diego. Prospected in Florida with a buddy when we got out of the marines. Always planned on coming back to this side of the country. Gonna help my sister take care of our mom, spend some time with her before she's gone, you know?" Happy listened intently. He was like a mini Happy, what better choice for his girl?

"Shark, you meet Hap's kid yet?" Lenard set his empty beer bottle on the bar and wrapped an arm around his shoulders. "Do us a favor will ya? Keep an eye on her while we take Happy over to the ring. Tacoma boys are getting ready to fight. Happy doesn't like his girl wondering around these parties unattended." Lenard grinned at Hap and Vin and walked Shark over to the pool table.

"Gabby." Lenard greeted her with a kiss on the cheek.

"Hey Lenard."

"Want you to meet Shark." He patted the man hard on the back before quickly making his way back to the bar.

"Subtle." Was all Hap said as Lenard returned. He looked over and caught his daughter's eye, raising his beer bottle and pointing outside. She nodded and went back to paying attention to whatever the hell Shark was telling her.

Lox made his escape after he lost the current game and Shark took over. "Prospect, how about some beers, huh?" Shark asked, taking the pool cue out of Casper's hand.

"I'm good Casper. Please no more." Gabby smiled sympathetically as Casper went off to unquestioningly fulfill his prospect duties. Casper smiled back not seeing the glare Shark aimed his way.

It was nearly an hour later that Gabby and Shark surrendered the table to another group and Shark began to lead Gabby into one of the darker corners of the club house. Gabby spotted Bobby, her unsaid babysitter, passed out on the couch and groaned whilst trying to maneuver around Shark to prevent from being pinned anywhere. Casper saw her look of discomfort and got up from his own perch by the bar, only to get shoved out of the way by Tig who was making a b-line straight for Gabby.

"Get lost kid." Tig nodded Shark away. Shark let go of Gabby's waist and left reluctantly. Older Brothers always got first pick of the girls, though only the dicks actually took advantage of that rule.

Shark made his way out of the clubhouse and Gabby found herself trapped by yet another man. She swallowed nervously, a move Casper caught and once again started to make his way over to her.

"Where's Happy?" Tig asked, pushing Gabby in the same direction Shark had been.

"Outside."

"And he left that twerp to look after you?"

"Look, can we just skip to the part where you make some disgusting sexual innuendo and I leave the club house in a huff?" Gabby asked, the late hour and alcohol making her irritable.

Tig stopped moving. He looked down at her carefully and let go of her arm, pushing a strand of hair behind her ear. "Is that really how you see me? Some creepy old pervert?"

"Don't." She flinched her head away making Tig quickly recoil his hand. He was staring into her eyes so intensely she had to fight to hold back a shiver.

"I'm a lot more than that sweet heart." He finally whispered.

"Don't. Don't call me that." She started to back up and he grabbed her arm again quickly.

"I think it's time you and me straightened out a few things." His eyes flared in anger and she tried desperately to pull her arm out of his grasp. She didn't want to make a scene. She looked around for anyone who would help her. The only Charming brothers in the room were passed out or engrossed in sweet butts. Her eyes locked with Casper over Tig's shoulder and he instantly pushed the rest of the way through the crowd and put his hand on Tig's chest, wedging himself between the two.

"Let go of her." Casper said firmly and calmly.

"Beat it Prospect." Tig didn't bother turning away from Gabby to look at him.

"No." With that Tig whipped his head around.

"What the fuck did you say to me boy?"

"You're scaring her." Casper pushed himself the rest of the way in between Tig and Gabby, forcing Tig to let go of her. Gabby grabbed on to Casper's arm immediately.

"Casper don't, please, just…just take me home." Gabby whispered to him, keeping her eyes on Tig.

"You want to go home find Happy." Tig pointed at her over Casper's shoulder.

"Come on, I'll take you." Casper answered her, wrapping an arm back and around her pushing her around him away from Tig. He wasn't stupid enough to turn his back on this guy.

"You're not taking her anywhere." Tig grabbed his arm and pulled him back over toward the wall.

* * *

Shark walked out of the club house and toward the boxing ring. The fight was long over but the crowd had yet to disperse.

Happy spotted him instantly and looked around for Gabby. When he didn't see her he shoved his beer at Vin and stalked toward the younger man. Lenard Vin and Chibs who had joined them all quickly followed.

"Where's Gabby?" He said immediately upon getting to him.

"Umm, Tig snagged her from me." He waved a hand back at the club house.

"Shite!" Chibs cursed under his breath and was only a half-step behind Happy as he charged his way through the crowd into the clubhouse.

"What the fuck's the matter with you? I told you to stay with her!" Lenard slapped Shark upside the head before he and Vin ran into the clubhouse as well to see what the big deal was.

* * *

"Jesus, let him go!" Happy heard his daughter yelling as soon as the door opened. He shoved his way through the ring of men getting to the center where he found Gabby attempting to pull Tig off of a profusely bleeding Casper.

"Gabby!" Happy wrapped an arm around her waist and pulled her away from the fighting men just as Casper got out of Tig's grasp and missed a left to his jaw.

"Dad stop them!" She tried to pull out of his grasp and he pushed her back towards Chibs whom wrapped a firm arm around her middle and pulled her against his chest.

"Not your fight lass let the brothers resolve it." He whispered into her ear.

The crowd was getting louder in their shouting as all the charters picked a brother to cheer for.

"Jesus Christ what the fuck?!" Jax entered with another surge of men as news of the fight spread and forced his way into the circle along with Happy.

"Jax stop them, please." Gabby pleaded from the side.

"Fucking Christ Tig! Tig get the fuck off of him!" Jax tried to force the boys apart and Happy stopped him, pulling him close.

"Tig needs this brother." Happy whispered into his ear and Jax looked at him carefully, and then looked at Tig and Casper as the prospect caught Tig in the left kidney.

Jax let out a frustrated breath through his nose and nodded to Chibs to take Gabby out of the circle. She was horrified at the sight in front of her, and Jax knew with Tig and Gabby in the same room this fight could only be about one thing; her.

Chibs pushed their way through till they got out of the circle of onlookers. "Stay here. I gotta get the first aid kit." He pointed at the corner cushion of the couch and jogged off toward the garage.

As soon as he was gone Gabby got up to head towards the door. "Oh no you don't. Two men fight over you, you stay till the end." Gemma appeared in front of her and shoved her back down.

Gabby hid her face in her hands as the fight continued, the sound of the blows sometimes louder than the cheers. The distinct sound of a table crashing slightly preceding half the room groaning in agony and the other half of the room cheering genuinely in shocked surprise.

"Here" Gabby looked up to see Happy with a very bloody Casper hanging on his shoulder. She jumped a bit as he was dropped down next to her. He dropped a cold bundle in her lap. "Clean up your hero." He looked at the two and then walked away, following Jax and Chibs who were carrying what looked like an unconscious Tig toward the dorms.

Gabby unbundled the towel ice pack and mini first aid kit, quickly kneeling on the cushion next to Casper. "Jesus Casper." She started to wipe the blood off his face and he brought his hand up, knuckles busted, to stop her.

"You don't have to." He whispered, bringing her hand down.

"You didn't have to either." She rested his hand on her knee and balanced the ice pack on top of it, going back to cleaning his face. "Why did you do that?"

"It needed to be done." He winced as she cleaned out a cut above his forehead. "He has no right to treat you like that Gabby."

"You take good care of him darling!" A few of the Indian Hills brothers walked by hooting at the two of them on the couch. One heavily patting Casper on the shoulder which caused another wince.

"Gabby…I don't want you to think….I mean, shit." He used his less damaged left hand to lower hers once more. "I didn't fight Tig to win you or anything…. I mean… I like you…. But I don't…. You don't owe me or anything." Gabby smiled and started to close up a cut on his cheek with butterfly bandages.

"Thank you. For stepping in, for helping me."

"You're welcome."

* * *

"What the fuck was that?!" Jax yelled at a barely conscious Tig.

"You might want to wait a few hours if you expect a coherent answer." Chibs threw over his shoulder as he set Tig's broken nose.

"Yeah, Prospect whipped his ass good." Lenard said from his spot leaning against the wall. Happy stayed silent. He wanted Tig alone, to find out exactly what he did to provoke the prospect into fighting him over Gabby.

"It's fine." Tig shoved Chibs off of him and swiped the ice pack from the bed. "Just a fight amongst brother's man." He looked at Happy, daring him to say more.

"Fight between brothers over a girl?" Jax asked crossing his arms. "What the fuck is always up your ass when Gabby's around man. She's not a fucking sweet butt. She's your Brother's Daughters!"

"SHE IS NOT HIS DAUGHTER!" Tig screamed getting up and pointing at Hap. Chibs stepped up and pushed him back down.

"She is Brother. I don't give a fuck whose blood is running through her. Happy raised that girl. She will be treated as such." Jax declared. "You seem to be the only one here who has a problem with that."

Tig got back up and shoved Chibs away. "She is not your daughter!" He got in Happy's face. "You want her, you want her to call you dad and curl up with you. You need to keep a closer fucking eye on her. She shouldn't be here. She has no place in this club."

"Tig." Chibs warned.

"What the fuck are you talking about?" Jax stepped up as well. "She's a club kid. I put a pink SOA hat on her 2 hour old head myself."

"I don't want her in my clubhouse." Tig looked back at Jax.

"Not your fucking choice." Jax shot back.

"Aye, Tig, you need to take a step back and see the big picture." Chibs tried to calm his brother. There weren't many men left from their generation in the club. Bobby Chibs Tig and Clay were the only ones who were still around from Gabby's conception.

Tig spun in the middle of the room looking at all the men. "I didn't start that fight. Your bachelor of the month was dragging YOUR daughter into the back of the club house and I stepped in and stopped it. Pee Wee out there needs to learn his place." Tig spat at Happy.

"Needles said you threw him into a wall." Lenard walked closer to the group.

"He got between me and Gabby."

"Needles said Gabby was scared to death trying to get away from you." Lenard explained further.

"I don't want Gabby here. I don't want her with a god damn Son. That's not the life for her!" Tig yelled at Happy and Jax, standing side by side.

"Not your kid, not your call." Jax warned.

Tig took a few deep breaths before diving at Jax. Jax shoved him off and just as quickly Chibs and Lenard had him restrained.

"Get him the fuck out of here. Sleep off the booze. And whatever the hell else you took, clean up your face." Jax yelled toward the 3 men as Chibs and Lenard nodded and dragged Tig to his own dorm room.

"What the fuck was that about?" Jax turned back to Happy.

Happy looked his president in the eye, but couldn't bring himself to say it. He sighed loudly and ran a hand over his head. "I'll stop bringing Gabby here."

"No. Gabby's welcome here. Look, you weren't around when she was born. My dad, he didn't care who Gabby's mom was. I meant what I said. He handed me a hat and took me into Emily's room, pointed at Gabby, and told me to say hi to my new little sister. That she was club. That club was stronger than blood. I used to baby sit her. Me and Opie both…when my dad died, things in this club changed. I'm still trying to fix them."

Happy nodded and Jax hugged him. "So you okay with her having a new biker in her life?" Jax teased.

"Yeah… think he proved himself tonight." The two brothers walked out into the main club house and perched themselves against the bar, watching Gabby wrap Casper's knuckles.

"You ready to lose your little girl to Fresno?" Vin came up to them and patted Happy on the back.

Hap chuckled. "Been setting her up with patches for years now. And she picks the flunky."

"Flunky? Hap, that fight…that girl, just earned Casper his top rocker."

* * *

Gabby looked up at the sound of an unfamiliar motorcycle parking in front of the store. She couldn't help but smile when the rider took off his helmet to reveal a very black and blue Casper. He smiled at her through the window and slowly made his way inside.

"Hey." She set down the case of wallets she was putting out on display and walked over to him, leading him to the counter. "Surprised to see you up and around."

"We're headed back tonight, wanted to take a ride, make sure I would make it. Jax told me where I could find you."

"Yeah I ah, thought it best not to come back to the clubhouse to check on you…. I was worried though." She looked him over; the swelling on his face was gone leaving only dark bruises and still open gashes. She peaked around him and rubbed his right hand, his knuckles were busted open.

He stroked her hand with his thumb. "They aren't broken." He assured her.

"So what happens now? Tig must be pretty pissed."

"Don't know, I figured I'd get booted out for attacking a patch but Tig's cool. He seems more pissed at Happy then he is at me." He shrugged and Gabby furrowed her brow, a move Casper found absolutely adorable. "I'm half way out already. If I ain't patched in the next 4 months they'll ask me to leave. They ain't gonna give me more than 2 years to prove myself."

"So…I may have lost you your patch?"

"No…no, I mean, you didn't do anything Gabby. I made the choice to stand up to Tig."

She nodded her head and gently stoked a bruise on his jaw. "Let me know what happens, okay, with the club, with…whatever…."

"I will. I gotta get back. We got church in 30 and Fresno heads out after that. I just wanted to stop in, say bye."

Gabby smiled and pushed up onto her tip toys catching Casper off guard with a light gentle peck on his lips. "Bye" she said as she pulled away.

Casper lowered his head along with her and kissed her back, just as gently but a bit longer. "Bye" he whispered back, resting his forehead against hers.

* * *

6 months later

* * *

"I told you you didn't have to come here. Everything's packed. Trucks gonna be here any minute." Gabby teased her father.

"Did you really think I wasn't gonna go down there with you?"

"You don't have too." She insisted.

"Least he could do is put a crow on you before you move in together." Happy grumbled.

"Oh my god dad, for the last time, I am not moving to Fresno for Casper." Gabby sighed and Happy just stared at her. "Fine, not JUST for Casper." She threw her arms in the air and collapsed on the couch. "I got a good job down there, something I can make a career out of, something I'm passionate about. I'm gonna make a difference in those kids lives dad." Gabby had gotten a job as a youth counselor at a drug rehab facility in Fresno helping kids whose parents were using or in treatment. She had been taking classes online and volunteering for a few years now to get the credentials she needed.

"Besides I'm not moving in with him. I got my own apartment. One with walls separating my bed from my couch." She waved her hand at the 4 feet of space between said bed and couch in her small studio.

"And your young hero ain't gonna be spending the night?" Happy was honestly thrilled with Casper; he had gotten his patch and was truthfully the perfect Son for Gabby. Plus it got her out of Charming. But he would never tell Gabby any of that or he would never hear the end of it.

"It's not like it has to be dark out for us to fuck dad." Gabby couldn't help but smile as the water bottle in Happy's hand instantly got crushed with a loud obvious crinkle sound. Happy really wasn't as hard to read as everyone thought. His face my reveal nothing but his body language was hard to miss.

"I swear to god Gabby…"

"Don't worry dad, we're careful. I don't want kids till I get married." Somehow the assurance of his daughter being on birth control did nothing to delete the image of her having sex out of his head.

"And when do you plan on getting married?"

"Don't know, we've only done the long distance thing. I want to make sure I can still stand him when I see him every day."

"Smart."

She smiled and walked over to him. "Daddy didn't raise no fool." She teased and kissed his cheek. "You can grumble all you want. I know you wanted me with a Son, and I know you like Casper."

Happy gave in and kissed the top of her head. "You make sure that Son of yours knows he doesn't have my permission to have your hand for anything yet, marriage or crow."

"You just said you wanted him to put a crow on me before I moved down there." Gabby groaned, exasperated.

"No I said the least he could do was put one on you." The argument stopped with a knock on the door before Casper and a new Fresno prospect came inside. Happy held back his growl when Casper and Gabby greeted each other with a kiss.

"Happy." Casper greeted him.

"You're late." Hap said and shoved a stool into his hands.

"There 10 minutes early." Gabby defended them.

"Sorry sir." Casper replied to Happy. Happy grabbed another stool and headed down the stairs to the truck the prospect had driven up.

"You know, if he's gonna be your father in law you need to learn to stand up to him." Gabby tried not to laugh at Casper.

"Easy for you to say, he won't punch you."

"Really? The Tacoma Killer was a nice dad?" The prospect asked.

"Well, not nice per say, he beat the shit out of my mom a few times, pulled a gun on the first guy he saw me with, and disappeared for about 5 years of my life. But other than that he's a teddy bear."

"What's with the chatter?" Happy asked coming back in.

"He even used to braid my hair." Gabby grinned at her father's back as he dropped her nightstand after hearing her comment.

"ONCE." Happy said loudly making the other 2 men in the room jump. "Only because it had to be done for your Christmas pageant." He picked the night stand back up and walked towards the door. "Get the fucking couch!" He yelled at the younger brothers and charged out of the apartment.

"Holy shit." The prospect gasped and looked wide eyed at Gabby and Casper.

"What, still scary?" Gabby asked.

"WORSE!" Both men screamed at her.

"Why?"

"Because now I'm pretty sure he'd kill both of us just to keep that secret!" Casper filled in heaving up his end of the couch and backed out of the apartment.

"Dude, you really think he's gonna kill us for knowing that?" The prospect asked on the way down the stairs.

"Wouldn't put it past him, Jesus, I know that, and I'm screwing his daughter!" They got to the bottom of the stairs and Casper backed into a very large Happy shaped immovable object. Casper only needed to see the Prospects eyes widen before he started backpedaling. "Making love." Casper tried, walking around Hap and lifting the couch into the truck. "HUGGING!" He yelled as Happy continued to just stare at him.

"Naked hugging." Gabby offered as she came down the stairs carrying a box.

"Are you trying to get me killed?" Casper wailed from the truck bed.

"He won't kill you. I'd cry, and he hates it when I cry." Gabby smiled at Casper before turning around and kissing Happy on the cheek. "And if he killed you I'd never date another Son again." She warned over her shoulder as she jogged back up the steps.

* * *

_2 notes:_

_1, for those of you who haven't watched every single David Labrava interview on YouTube, "Behind the Cut with Happy" DL talks about surfing. So I just had to add that in there._

_2: Did anyone notice that Gabby has a bit more of an attitude about her now? I added that in on purpose since she finally stood up for herself in the last chapter. She's growing and maturing and finally finding herself, and her voice._


	12. Chapter 12

_I am sooo sorry for taking so long to update, it's really not like me. It's been a super busy week both at work and at home and I ended up stopping half way through this chapter for nearly a week till I got back to it._

_Thank you so much for all of the reviews. I got back to a lot of you, but not all. I appreciate everyone that reads my work, and especially those of you that take the time to comment. Even just the "thank you's' and 'more please' put a huge smile on my face!_

_Hopefully everyone in the northeast is at the very least safe after Sandy. I know there is still a lot of clean up ahead. I was lucky here in Ohio, we lost power for a while and I lost some siding off my house. Lots of downed trees and power lines and closed roads. Things have been a mess. But I know other people have it SO much worse and my heart goes out to all of you._

_For those of you interested Theo Rossi (Juice) was on Staten Island New York through the storm and is still there helping with cleanup. He is putting lots of updates on twitter. Follow him at Theorossi_

_Anyway, on with the story. Next chapter will be the last but I actually officially have more one shots planned for this story then I have actual chapters! Most of them just didn't fit into the story, or were way too short to be chapters on their own. They will start coming out as soon as the next chapter gets put up._

* * *

Dislcaimer: do not own, not for profit

* * *

2015

Age 23

"Hey baby." Gabby slipped into the clubhouse and kissed Casper.

"Hey love. To what do I owe this wonderful surprise?" Casper looked up from his laptop sitting on the bar.

"Unfortunately not here for you babe, where's Vin?" Gabby had been slightly worried about what the Fresno charter would think of her job at a rehab center. Fresno didn't make or deal meth, but they did manage to make a lot of money off it. Hard to ignore it seeing as Fresno is the meth capital of the world.

"He's in the chapel with Chris." Casper got up and wrapped an arm around her, walking her across the clubhouse and knocking on the chapel door.

Vin opened the door and smiled. "Hey sugar, you got something for us?" Chris, the Fresno president walked to the door as well when he saw Gabby.

"Hey honey, when's this fool putting his ink on you?" Chris teased, kissing Gabby on the cheek.

"Dad gets out next month, if I don't wait for him to do it he's liable to scrap it off and do another one." Happy got busted shortly after Gabby moved to Fresno. She drove to see him once a month in the Nevada State Penn and couldn't wait for him to get released. He hadn't even gotten the chance to come back and see her after she had unpacked her apartment.

"He's coming right down here, right?" Chris asked.

"Vegas has his bike, gonna do the pickup. He's said he coming right here though."

"Good. So you got something for us?" Chis clapped his hands and rubbed them together in anticipation.

Part of the reason SAMFRES had no problem with Gabby working at the rehab was because she turned over any info she got on dealers and kitchens. The charter made a good deal of their money by controlling a chunk of the drug trade. They owned about a third of the town and anyone who dealt in it had to follow strict policies and pay a fee. Breaking policies or trying to get around the fee could result in anything from a beat down to another larger fee, to being driven out, to death.

"Name and address." Gabby held up a piece of paper but pulled it back before Vin could grab it. "I want this one gone Chris."

"What did he do?" Chris didn't mind the demanding tone, Gabby usually didn't care what the club did and the few times she did it was for very good reasons.

"Raped a 14 year old to pay for her father's meth."

"Jesus." Casper murmured under his breath and rubbed a comforting hand down Gabby's back.

"Shit." Vin whipped a hand over his face.

"Don't worry honey. We'll make sure it doesn't happen again." Chris was already deciding the way in which he'd castrate the man.

She handed the paper to Vin after she got the reassurance. "Alright, I gotta go back, I have group in an hour." She smiled at the 2 officers and kissed Casper before going back through and out of the clubhouse.

"You 2 start talking about the wedding yet?" Chris nudged Casper after Gabby left.

"No, she won't even ware the ring till I talk to Hap."

"You gonna let her dictate everything?" Vin asked. Casper had grown quite a backbone since patching in, but everyone was in agreement that Gabby probably wore the pants in their relationship.

Casper shrugged. "Said it was for my own protection."

"Ah, so future daddy in law is dictating the relationship." Chris laughed.

"Yes, yes pres., my future father in law, The Tacoma Killer, is dictating my relationship. And I sure as hell ain't gonna tell him to butt out." Casper said completely serious and the other men laughed loudly before going back into the Chapel.

* * *

"Stop" Casper whispered and placed a hand on Gabby's bouncing right leg. She responded by bouncing the left. "Love, please." Casper switched his hand to her left knee to hold the leg down. "Don't make me sit on you." She smiled and finally settled.

"It's been 10 months."

"It's been 3 weeks." He corrected her.

"He's been in prison for 10 months."

"You saw him 3 weeks ago. And he's out now; he's on his way here."

"I know." She leaned her head on his shoulder. "Please don't get arrested Casper." She slipped her arm under his and hugged it to her.

"Not on my to do list love." He kissed her head and pinched her knee anticipating the first tap of her foot. "He'll be here soon. He's in the county."

"We should have gone to meet him." Several of the Fresno brothers had gone to meet Happy and give him an escort to the clubhouse. Chris and Vin had both insisted that Gabby stay at the clubhouse. Escorting brothers home was not for women to do, it was a brotherly bond. Lenard had then insisted that Casper stay as well to 'calm' by which all the brothers knew he meant 'control' Gabby.

The relationship between Gabby and Casper was interesting to say the least. Most of the men had learned to keep their comments to themselves. Gabby was a force to be reckoned with, and a lot of the men were surprised Casper could, let alone was willing, to try. But the 2 were completely in love, that was never questioned. Gabby respected the brothers, and in turn the brothers respected Gabby. She was after all Happy's daughter, and although she hadn't gotten her ink yet everyone knew she was officially Casper's old lady.

The couple waited nearly another 45 minutes before the rumble of Harley's could be heard and Casper allowed Gabby off the couch to pace in front of the club house doors. Shark sat on a picnic table laughing. While Bull had a bit of a bad taste in his mouth from Happy telling him to stay the fuck away from Gabby, Shark didn't mind a bit. He found Gabby beautiful, and while he loved the spark she had he knew she wasn't the girl for him. Besides, who the hell wanted the Tacoma Killer for a father in Law?

Casper watched the look on Gabby's face as the men pulled onto the lot. Casper wasn't sure if Gabby would ever love him as much as she loved Happy. Gabby had told him a lot about her childhood, but not everything. Enough however to know that without Happy Gabby wouldn't be here today. He had no plans of interfering with their relationship; as long as Happy liked him he didn't see him as a threat to their relationship.

Happy pulled his helmet off and slowly got off his bike. He had rode nonstop from Vegas to Fresno, something he was beginning to think he was getting too old to do, but the second he saw Gabby he didn't care about the aches in his bones. She walked closer as the other men parked and got off their bikes and Happy met her half way, wrapping her in a fierce hug.

He pulled away and looked at her closely, wiping the few tears of joy off her cheeks with his thumbs. "Missed you sweet heart."

"Missed you too, dad." He pulled her in again and hugged her tight as more brothers started to approach him for a hug or a pat on the back.

* * *

Jax came out of the chapel and looked around the bar. "Hap's not here yet?"

Chibs and Bobby glanced at one another and then at Tig before getting up to address Jax quietly. "Hap went straight to Fresno to see Gabby." Bobby informed his president.

Jax nodded. "Guess I thought he'd stop here first. We're not that far out of the way."

"He'll be back up in a few days. Gabby's been waiting for him to get out to make things official with Casper." Chibs added.

"How official? I thought those 2 were pretty committed." Jax remembered his visit to Fresno three months back. Gabby had seemed extremely happy there, thrilled even. More relaxed at the Fresno clubhouse then she'd ever been in Charming's own. Even when she was there with Hap.

"She's been waiting for Hap to get out to do the ink." Chibs smiled.

"Gabby's getting inked tonight?" Jax said in surprise a little louder then he meant to.

"Yeah, way Vin was talking they put everything on hold, even the engagement, till Hap could come down." Bobby smiled as well. Neither Chibs nor Bobby would deny that they were thrilled to have Gabby choosing to become a part of SOA permanently.

Jax grinned bigger than the other 2. "What do you say we take a trip? Got shit going on here tonight."

Chibs laughed and clapped Jax on the back. "I'm in brother."

"Yeah, why not, me too." Bobby rubbed his hands together in anticipation.

"Count me in too." Tig suddenly appeared next to Jax. "Haven't seen Hap in ages."

"Seen him more recently then you've seen Gabby haven't you?" Bobby couldn't help but point out.

"I ain't taking you down there to start trouble Tig." Jax warned.

"Not trying to cause trouble. Just want to see Hap." Tig put his hands up in surrender. Jax eyed Bobby who shrugged and then Chibs who shook his head no.

"Don't make me regret this Tig." Jax pointed a finger at him before walking off to inform Tara of his plans.

"Tig" Chibs turned to face the man. "Don't ruin this for her; it's not your place."

"Bullshit it's not."

* * *

It was 2 hours of hugs, drinking, and all around debauchery later that Gabby leaned over Happy's shoulder as he spread out a few versions he had done off Gabby's rough sketch of the ink she and Casper had in mind.

"I like that one. With the 's' from the top one." She pointed at 2 different sketches.

"This?" Happy flipped over one of the papers and showed her exactly what she had just asked for. She smiled and kissed his cheek.

"Where's 'the friendly ghost'?" Shark leaned over the other side of the table. Happy smirked and Gabby slapped his shoulder.

"No, dude, the 'A' should just be a ghost!" Tom Tom added from the couch.

"HAPPY!" Chibs yelled as the clubhouse doors opened. The bar went momentarily silent before erupting in welcoming shouts. Jax Bobby and Tig followed Chibs into the clubhouse. Happy looked up at Gabby in time to see a flash of resentment cross her face before she looked down at him.

"Go. This can wait." She got up and walked out of the bar area into the kitchen. Happy started to follow her but stopped when Casper slipped into the hallway ahead of him.

"Hey brother." Jax came up and slapped his back, pulling him in for a hug. "You really think we were gonna let you get away with not seeing us?"

"Had a more important stop." He answered, glancing down the hall that led to the kitchen.

"Can't imagine what." Tig hugged him tight and pounded his back a few times. Chibs pulled Tig away and gave Hap his own tight hug.

"Hey Hap man." Bobby hugged Hap as well as Chibs looked down at the table full of sketches.

"Doing this on your first night home?" Chibs picked up one of the sketches.

"Oh yeah, it's gotta be healed for the wedding." Happy smiled wide.

"Shit." Bobby spun the room looking for Gabby or Casper.

"Gabby's getting married?" Tig froze.

"Next month. Said she wants it done before I get myself arrested again." Chibs laughed and clapped Happy on the back.

* * *

Casper found his bride to be in the kitchen staring at the coffee pot. "Hey love." He walked up behind her and wrapped his arms around her. "It's not on." He whispered in her ear and pulled the door open to reveal no grounds as well. "What's wrong?"

She turned around to face him. "Nothing just needed somewhere to hide." She rested her forehead against his chest. "You know I'm crazy, right? I'm always gonna be crazy… Not gonna change…"

"You're not crazy Gabby." Casper rubbed his hands up and down her back.

"I have serious…major daddy issues."

"You're father spent 10 months in prison, and the night he gets out you have to share him with 20 men. It's not crazy to resent that." He pulled her face off his chest to look at her.

She took a deep breath to prevent her voice from quivering. "I just want to be his priority sometimes."

"You are his priority. He loves you. He's done so much for you."

"I know. I know he has. And he didn't have too. And I sound so selfish right now…"

"You don't sound selfish."

"I'm sorry I made you wait for him to get out. That was defiantly selfish."

"Wanting your father at your wedding isn't selfish. And neither is wanting him to ink you. Love, you didn't put US on hold, we're together, everyone knows we're together. I practically live at your apartment; I don't even have my own dorm here anymore."

Gabby sighed and got up one her tip toes to kiss him, "I love you."

"I love you too." He picked her up and set her on the counter, slipping between her legs as they linked around his waist.

The young couple broke there lip lock at the sound of a throat clearing. Tig's throat clearing. Gabby swallowed nervously and Casper slipped her back off the counter and stepped in front of her.

"Tig." He greeted his out of town brother.

"Casper." Tig gave him a slight nod. "Happy's setting up. If you still want to do the ink."

Gabby stepped out from behind Casper. "Of course I still want to." she took a deep breath and started to walk towards Tig, and the door.

Tig put his arm out to stop her from walking through. Casper clenched his fists and took a step closer in anticipation of another fight.

"Congrats on…this and umm, the wedding thing…" He risked a look and read nothing but pure shock and confusion on her face before he dropped his arm and his gaze as she walked out of the kitchen. Tig looked up at Casper who was studying him. "You hurt her, leave her, cheat on her, put her in harm's way… I'll skin you alive before I let Hap near you."

Casper walked up to him, using his 3 inch height difference to his advantage. "I would Never walk away from Gabby, not like her father did." Tig's eyes flared and Casper couldn't help but smirk. "I do hope my kids get your eyes. Sorry…Gabby's eyes I mean." With that he walked around Tig, bumping his shoulder hard, and out of the kitchen to watch the love of his life get his name permanently tattooed on the back of her neck.

* * *

"Alright, come on sweet heart; get this wild mane out of my way." Tig took a few moments to calm himself in the kitchen before coming back out and watching Happy start the process of preparing the back of Gabby's neck. She swept her thick waves up into a high bun on top her head and straddled a chair Casper moved out so he could sit in front of her.

"You're not gonna put on a stencil?" Lenard asked as Happy wiped her neck off after shaving it and picked up his gun.

"No." He answered just before the buzzing started.

She closed her eyes when the needle hit her skin but otherwise didn't seem bothered by it. "This your first tattoo?" Jax grabbed a chair and sat next to Casper so he could talk to Gabby.

"No." She echoed Happy and Chibs laughed from somewhere over by the bar. Gabby flipped him off without looking at him. "I have Ralph on my calf."

"You have another man's name inked on your leg?" Shark came over and tugged at her pant leg, Happy stomped his foot down on Sharks forearm and held it firmly to the ground.

"Dad" Gabby said in a warning tone but he didn't move as Shark starred up at Hap and stuttered. "Release." She ordered him like a dog and he rolled his eyes and let Shark's arm up.

"Ralph is a dog." Casper filled in for the men who continued to surround the table.

"I didn't know you had a dog." Jax grabbed a beer from a passing sweet butt and tried to recall ever seeing Gabby walking a dog around.

"Ralph is a stuffed dog." Casper explained further, grinning at Gabby as she pulled up her own pant leg high enough to show him off. Sure enough a small, sitting Border collie puppy shaped stuffed animal was tattooed on Gabby's right calf.

"Happy did it when I was 18, it's a symbol."

"You have a stuffed animal tattooed on your leg, please dear god let it be a symbol." Vin stared at the tattoo wide eyed.

"Ralph was the only stuffed animal I ever had. Happy bought him for me when I was 5." She dropped her pant leg and held onto the back of the chair as Happy dipped the tattoo gun lower onto her spine working on the flowing script.

"You only had one stuffed animal?" Tig walked up closer to her and Chibs planted a hand on his shoulder to stop him.

"Because you were like, a Barbie girl?" Chris got off the couch and walked over to the small group of men.

"Ralph was the only toy I had. Besides some crayons and Opie's old bike." Gabby mumbled towards the floor.

"You had one toy?!" Vin yelled out. "What the hell? Why didn't you buy her more?" He directed at Happy.

"I bought her the dog." He mumbled paying close attention to his daughter's neck.

"Oh my god. I am buying you toys." Vin sounded genuinely upset. "Jesus, you are a really bad father."

Happy turned off the machine and looked up. "I love my daughter. I didn't buy her shit, but I was there for her. Which is a hell of a lot more then quite a few of you in here can say for yourselves." He didn't bother looking at anyone in particular and returned to finishing the tattoo.

Tig duked out from Chibs hand and walked out of the clubhouse catching the attention of a few men. "Where's he going?" Frankie asked nodding his head towards the door.

"I don't know. I'll check." Chibs glanced down at Happy who was starring hard at the door before following Tig outside.

Chibs slipped out and spotted Tig climbing up into the cab of a crane. He slowly made his way over as well slipping in the other side of it and lighting his own cigarette, mirroring Tig. They sat quietly for a few minutes before Tig finally kicked the dash and sighed.

"I was married." He finally spat out and Chibs simply nodded his head. "Colleen hated me. She was looking for a reason to leave." Chibs again nodded his head. "It's not like I was the only one fucking Emily." Chibs gave a small sigh and again nodded. Unlike Tig, Chibs had actually hoped that the child Emily was carrying had been his.

"She hates me." He spoke quietly, his anger having dissipated a bit. Chibs looked at him out of the corner of his eye. "I didn't want her to hate me. I wanted her to hate the club."

"Fawn hates me." He took a deep, heavy breath, "Dawn is…god." He wiped a hand over his face. "You know, she looks the most like me…. Fawn looks like her mother. Dawn too, but Gabby… she's got my eyes. My hair. My cheek bones."

"Least she didn't get your nose." Chibs threw in and Tig scoffed.

"Yeah…yeah man Jesus… She's got my temper though. My god damn sense of humor." He went quiet again and Chibs held his tongue.

"Happy's gonna walk my baby girl down the aisle." He whispered and Chibs swallowed. He knew partly how Tig felt. Jimmy had taken Fiona and Keri Anne from him, raised Keri Anne like his own. But at least she had known he wasn't really her father. She knew Chibs loved her and missed her and wanted to be there even though he couldn't. Gabby didn't have that luxury.

"Happy raised her. She calls him da'. Blood….never meant much of anything in this club Tig. Happy IS her da' doesn't matter who's blood she's got."

"I know man. He raised my kid. He loves her. She's his. I ain't gonna try to fuck that up. I'm glad he stepped up. I'm glad she had someone. It's just…hitting me now, you know? I never thought she'd stick around. Figured she'd turn 18 and run for hills. That's why I never got attached. Never wanted to miss her."

"You would've missed her brother." Chibs clamped his hand on the back of Tig's head and pulled him close. "We all would've missed the lass."

* * *

Chibs led Tig back inside the clubhouse and sat him down at the bar, getting him a stiff drink. The tattooing was done and Gabby was sitting in Casper's lap at a table with Happy Jax Chris and Vin. Chibs walked over giving Happy a nod. Chibs had always been impressed that Happy and Tig could keep Gabby completely out of their friendship. It was never brought up unless she was around. Didn't impact their ability to ride, fight, or party together. Tig never asked about her and Happy never brought her up, not to brag or hurt his brother.

"It's a joining of Charters!" Jax exclaimed and Gabby through a bottle cap at him.

"First of all. You're all the same club. This isn't England and France. You're already joined. Secondly, this wedding isn't joining Fresno and Charming. Happy's back to being Nomad."

Jax balked. "Happy may be Nomad but you little sis, are SAMCRO." Gabby groaned and Casper laughed pulling her tighter against him. Jax had always teased Gabby about being his little sister, Opie too. Not that either of them actually treated her like a sister, she never really understood their inside joke.

"Fine. Fresno and SAMCRO."

"And the Nomads." Happy added.

"3 Charters at my wedding?"

"You know, you spent more time in Tacoma then you did as a Nomad, you should invite them too." Chibs grinned wide grabbing a chair to join in.

"Good point" Vin lifted his beer to Chibs in acknowledgement. "And for that matter, you just spent 10 months locked up with half of Vegas, we should get them down here too."

"Whose side are you on?" Gabby nudged Vin's thigh with her foot.

"Yours Sugar, always." He tapped her boot and smiled at her.

"You know, if you're inviting that many Charters to Fresno we need to reach out to the Mayans or they're gonna think we're planning something." Chris reasoned and Jax nodded at him and pointed.

"Mayan's at my wedding? And 5 Charters?" Gabby balked.

"Good point, good faith gestures can't hurt." Jax answered Chris ignoring Gabby.

Gabby slipped off Casper's lap and kissed his cheek. "Alright, I'm out. You boys plan my wedding. Just tell me when and where. But I get to pick out my dress!" Casper got up and kissed her again.

"You going home?"

"Mmhhhmm you want to come with?" She whispered.

"Hmmm" Casper kissed her ear lobe and whispered back. "Maybe if I can take you from behind and stare at my name on your skin."

"Just because I can't hear you don't mean I don't know what the fuck you're saying." Happy yelled at the couple and Gabby giggled into Casper's chest.

She pushed away from him and walked around the table to kiss her father goodnight. "You and me, dinner tomorrow, love you dad."

"He messes that up I'm putting your name on his forehead."

"Always so specific." She teased him and waved goodnight to the rest of the men. Tig sighed as she walked by him with zero acknowledgment. He couldn't help but wonder if she had ever figured it out. If Casper knew… she was smart. She had to know… unless she was still in denial.

* * *

Happy slipped into the dorm Gabby had claimed to get ready in. The sight of her immediately took his breath away. She was facing the window, looking down at the back lot where the old ladies had set up for the wedding. Her hair was up with a few well-placed rhinestone tipped bobby pins, showing off her old man's name and adding a bit of sparkle to her hair since she had chosen not to wear a veil. She had chosen a simple dress as well, not even a wedding dress really, just a white knee length strapless thing. She had on simple 2 inch heels and some kind of necklace, though he couldn't see it from his place behind her.

He cleared his throat and she spun around, her eyes lighting up the same way they did when she was a kid. "Dad" she walked over and hugged him tight. He hugged her back, careful not to crush her hair before pulling her away and looking her over once more.

"You look so beautiful sweet heart." She smiled and took a deep breath.

"Is Casper here?"

"Shit…"

"Dad!"

He smiled wide when she slapped his chest. "Yes Gabs, your old man's here. And sober. I made sure of it." He was of course referring to the impromptu Friday night party turned bachelor party from the night before. "Everything is ready. Everyone's here. No worries."

"You ready to give me away?"

"Think I did that a while ago." He ran his hand over the ink on her neck.

"Yeah….well… now I get to live out my worst nightmare." He raised his eye brows at her. "Be the center of attention in front of 300 Sons."

"107, I counted the bikes." He corrected her.

"107, yes because god forbid I exaggerate." She took a deep calming breath and glanced at a clock on the dresser. "Time to go."

"Gabby." Happy linked hands with her and pulled her away from the door.

"Yeah dad?"

He looked at her for a moment before speaking. "I'm sorry."

"For what? Dad" she let out a small laugh, "I don't mind the Sons, I…"

"I'm sorry I didn't take you away." She furrowed her brow and walked back to him. "I should never have left you with Emily. I was wrong. I'm sorry."

She kissed his cheek and placed her free hand on his heart. "Thank you. Thank you for coming back, for helping me, for raising me, for being there. If you hadn't stepped up… I wouldn't be here. I wouldn't be in Fresno, I wouldn't be getting married, I don't know if I'd even be alive."

He placed his other hand on top of hers on his chest. The door creaked open and they heard a groan. "Oh no you don't, don't you dare get her all sappy, when she's sappy she cries and I am not doing that makeup again!" Charlene came into the room and pulled her best friend away from Happy wiping under her eyes making sure her mascara was perfect.

"Come on dad, come give me away." She grabbed his hand again and pulled him out the door with her. "And please don't threaten Casper when you give him my hand." She whispered into his ear as the music started and Charlene started down the aisle with Tom Tom, Casper's best man.

* * *

Tig sat on top of a picnic table not nearly drunk enough considering the day. The wedding hadn't been too bad. The actual vows lasted less than 10 minutes. The old ladies hadn't even bothered setting up chairs for it. Happy walked Gabby down the aisle, gave her to Casper, whispered something that made him go completely pale and had Gabby rolling her eyes. A judge married them fairly quickly and then the men were released to party in and around the clubhouse.

There had been no champagne, no garter or bouquet tossing. The live band set up under a tent had done a few slow songs for the bride and groom and other couples, as well as a father of the bride dance that Tig for the life of him couldn't tear his eyes away from. But now it was nothing but rock being pumped out of a stereo and a well-dressed version of a huge Friday night party. Or well, Saturday night party.

It wasn't often this many Charters got together, including other clubs, and the men were certainly having a good time. Except for Tig. He had found out a week earlier that Fawn had also gotten married. And hadn't told him, let alone invited him. And now he was here, at his youngest daughter's wedding and he couldn't even bring himself to walk over and tell her how beautiful she looks, or congratulate her.

He watched Gabby talking to a group of brothers from Vegas, her new husbands arms wrapped around her keeping her warm. She glanced in his direction and then said something to Casper, which resulted in a kiss and then Gabby walking towards him. He set down his bottle and couldn't help but look behind him, trying to figure out why she was coming over.

"You having a good time Tig?" She asked, crossing her arms to keep warm.

He nodded his head and swallowed nervously. He knew Casper was watching the both of them from his place on the lot.

"Good…glad you came." She started to walk towards the clubhouse and he hopped off the table and followed her. She paused and turned around, looking at him, waiting for him to say something.

"Thank you." She waited for more and when it didn't come she smiled and turned back around. "Gabby!" He called out and she turned around again. "For inviting me. Thank you for inviting me to your wedding. I know… you probably hate me… but…" He wiped a hand threw his hair and sighed not knowing what else to say.

She slowly took a step forward, careful still to stay out of arms reach. "You tortured me every chance you got. Tried to scare me away from the club. Am I safe to assume we're past that now?"

"Yes." He nodded his head emphatically.

"Good." She started once again towards the clubhouse door but stopped and walked up to him instead. "I don't hate you Tig." She walked over to him and placed a gently kiss on his cheek. "I do wish things had been different though." With that she finally made her way into the clubhouse and up to the dorms. She wanted to change out of her dress so she and Casper could leave for their honeymoon.

Tig continued to stare at the clubhouse door as Happy walked over and planted a hand on his back. "Did you?"

"See that? Yeah." He nodded his head.

"Did you?"

"I didn't send her over here." He shook his head this time.

"Does she?"

"I don't know if she knows. We haven't talked about it in a few years." Happy clapped Tig on the back. "She's a smart girl Tig; she just had to grow out of the denial and resentment to see it."

"When did you know she was mine?" Tig turned to his brother finally.

"When she was 5 and I started coming around more. Knew for sure when she was 11."

"You weren't around when she was 11." Tig knew exactly when Happy had stopped visiting Gabby. He had been both relieved and disappointed.

"When she was 11 SAMCRO came up to Tacoma. Lee's old lady did a clam bake. You started freaking out 'cause Juice was throwing shrimp tails at you."

"I'm allergic to Shellfish."

"So is she." Tig scoffed and wiped a hand over his face. "When did you know for sure?"

"The day she was born brother."

* * *

_And finally the reveal of Gabby's father! I'm sure by now you all figured it out already, but i had to lay it out there anyway._

_As stated above, next chapter will be the last, and then look for one shots! I haven't decided on a name for the one shots yet, so send me your suggestions and I will make sure and announce what to look for at the end of the last chapter._


	13. Chapter 13

_The last chapter of The Reluctant Lion Heart. longer A/N at bottom, a definete must read! _

* * *

Disclaimer: do not own, not for profit

* * *

2020

Age 28

Happy Tig Phil Juice Chibs Tom Tom and Lenard all flanked Jax and Chris as the 2 presidents talked peace with Alvarez and the president of the Fresno Mayans, Ramon. Fresno had asked Charming to step in and mediate to avoid a turf war. Jax was happy to help, he had managed to keep peace with Alvarez even after their link with the cartel dissolved, and he was anxious to keep it that way.

Happy's cell phone buzzed in his pocket for the second time and he swallowed back the urge to slip it out. He didn't miss the look Jax slipped him saying 'what the fuck?' The meeting broke as the phone buzzed again and he finally gave in and answered with a quick, "Yeah?"

He clicked the phone shut just as quickly and looked at his brothers all waiting to hear what had been so important to keep interrupting the meeting.

"Gabby." Was all he said as he walked past his brothers and immediately got on and started his bike.

Alvarez shot the men a worried look as they all jogged to their bikes. "Something wrong amigo?"

"No man, Hap's kid's in labor." He smiled and patted Alvarez on the shoulder before revving up his bike. Hap was already out of sight and Tig wasn't far behind.

* * *

"GRANDPA!" The high pitched shriek preceded a little girl with black wavy hair running down the hospital hall and Happy bent down to scoop her up.

"Grandpa, mommy's having baby brother." The girl announced her excitement clear in her bright blue eyes.

"She is? Well I guess it's a good thing I showed up." Hap teased her while carrying her back to the waiting area, completing ignoring his grinning brothers behind him.

"Grandpa! Uncle Vin called you!" She chastised him and slapped his shoulder. Happy laughed and kissed her head.

Four year old Kristen was a clone of her mother in looks and attitude. The only thing Happy saw of Casper in her was her height. The girl was already tall for her age and he knew she'd shoot up past her 5'6'' mother closer to her 6'5'' father in no time.

The group of bikers quickly made their way to the waiting area where Vin Shark and Frankie were already waiting with Charlene and Chris' old lady Vivica. Greetings and hugs were passed around and Happy settled Kristen down with a coloring book in front of Charlene.

"Casper in there with her?" Hap asked Vin, although he already knew the answer.

"Yeah, 308." Vin answered and got a nod back in return.

"Grandpa wait!" Kristen popped up from the floor and ran to Happy. He couldn't help but smile. Kristen was always so happy to see him, like Gabby had been, but Kristen was a happier kid in general. Always smiling and running around, she had all of Fresno wrapped around her little finger. It made Happy realize how bad Gabby's childhood had really been.

"You got to wait here sweetie." Happy knelt down, his old knees cracking at the effort.

"I know, but I have a secret to tell you." She wrapped her arms around his neck and whispered into his ear, smiling wide as she pulled away. He smiled back and kissed her head before swatting her butt playfully to go back to the group.

* * *

Happy stood at the door a moment watching Casper whisper into Gabby's ear as a contraction hit her. He allowed them their private moment until the pain passed. He had to admit Casper loved her. More than Happy first believed he did, and he was a great father.

As Gabby seemed to settle he rapped a knuckle on the door and they both turned to see him.

"Dad!" Gabby reached out her free hand for him as an invite as he entered and walked around the bed. "You got here in time." She grabbed a hold of his hand tightly and he kissed her slightly damp forehead.

"Got here in time? I haven't left the county all month. I wasn't gonna miss this."

"Glad you're here Hap." Casper gave him a hug over the hospital bed. "I'm gonna give you 2 a minute. Get some coffee before things speed up." He addressed Gabby, brushing her matted hair off her face.

"Okay baby."

"You want anything?" He joked.

"You're not funny." He smiled and kissed her.

"I love you." He whispered.

"I love you too." She squeezed his hand tight before letting it go and watching him walk out. That was something else Happy liked about Casper. He trusted Gabby and wasn't jealous in the least; not of the time she spent with him or her friendship with any of the other Sons. And Gabby was the same way. Hap wasn't sure exactly what their arrangement was, but he had never seen or heard of Casper fooling around in any way with any sweet butt, and Gabby never asked or said a word about it.

"How you doing sweet heart?" Hap slipped onto the edge of the bed and rested his free hand on her large pregnant belly.

"I'm okay, excited to have it over with." She tried to smile. "You got here fast." Hap had barely made it for the birth of Kristen, getting to the hospital so late they wouldn't let him in the room to see her. But he had been there none the less.

"Meeting with Charming and the Mayans. Some of the boys came with."

"Who?" She asked rubbing her thumb across Happy's still gleaming white Fresno patch on his cut.

"Tig, Jax, Phil, Juice, and Chibs." She furrowed her brow at the list of names. "They were all with me when I got the call." She nodded her head and closed her eyes. "You want me to let you sleep?"

"No, just trying to rest while I can, keep talking." She answered with her eyes closed.

"Kristen told me a secret; said you're letting her name the baby."

"Yeah. She came down to dinner last week and announced she only wanted a baby brother if she could name him Mathew. It was on both of our lists so we said yes. Mathew James." She squeezed his hand tight and took a few quick breaths. Happy squeezed back and tried to sooth her by rubbing his hand over her hair. "She thinks she's the coolest big sister in the world now." She added, talking through the last bit of pain. Happy swallowed back the lump in his throat. He knew child birth was painful, but he hated seeing his daughter in so much pain, especially when there was nothing he could do to stop it.

He sat quiet for a moment and she squeezed his hand again gently. "Keep talking dad." She had never admitted how soothing his gravelly voice was. She didn't think he'd appreciate that tidbit since he seemed to think it was one of his more intimidating qualities.

* * *

Kristen tucked away her coloring book and crawled up into Shark's lap. Tig watched as he automatically switched his coffee to his other hand and wrapped an arm around her never pausing in his conversation with Jax and Phil. He couldn't help the sudden flare of jealousy as she rested her head against his Cut and slipped the rings off his hand trying them on her own thin fingers.

All of Fresno seemed so close to Gabby and Kristen. Gabby didn't go out of her way to keep Tig away, but she also didn't make visits to Charming. She had no reason to; Charlene had gotten a job just south of Fresno after college and Happy had transferred Charters before Kristen was even walking. Gabby had no reason to go to Charming, except to see SAMCRO who came down every few months on club business. He didn't blame her for not making it a priority to get to know him or let him see his granddaughter. He certainly hadn't made getting to know her a priority when she was in Charming.

"Dude," Juice leaned over to Phil and loudly whispered in his ear, "You seeing what I'm seeing?" Phil followed Juice's line of vision, going between Shark and Tig who were sitting next to each other on a bench.

"No…" Phil shook his head and Juice looked to where he was looking.

"No man, not Shark." Juice nudged his head lower to Kristen and then back up to Tig.

"Whoa, freaky." Phil finally saw the similarity.

"Care to share with the rest of the class boys?" Chibs chastised the 2.

"Umm no?" Juice offered in return and Chris choked on his coffee.

"Spit it the fuck out or shut the hell up about it." The Fresno president cut off any other nonsense.

"Well just you know…." Juice nudged his head at Kristen and Tom Tom rolled his eyes.

"Kristen, tell Juice the number one rule about us." Tom Tom smirked and leaned back in his chair as Vin tried to hide his smile.

"Don't repeat anything you say because it's either a curse word or a word you're using instead of a curse word or illegal." Kristen recited from memory without looking up from her stack of 3 rings on her index finger.

"Who taught you that rule?" Jax asked smiling at Chibs who was turning red trying to hold in his laughter.

"Daddy. He said he can't make you stop cursing, but it doesn't mean I'm allowed to." She looked up at Shark. "Uncle Chris swore at them."

"Yes he did. Shame on you Uncle Chris." Shark patted Gabby's arm and looked at his president whom had an 'oh shit' look on his face as he realized what he just said to Juice.

"I wasn't gonna swear or say anything….illegal…. just I noticed something…odd." Juice tried to get out the sentence.

"And that would be?" Vin egged him on.

"Kristen looks a freakin' lot like Tig." Phil finally offered.

Chibs eyes went to Tig as everyone else's went to Kristen. Neither man said a word as all the other brothers and the 2 women looked back and forth between Kristen and Tig. The only people who didn't seem surprised were Vin and Shark.

Kristen finally broke her gaze from the rings she was playing with and looked up at the men. "I look like my mommy." She said as if everyone in the world should know such an obvious thing.

"Holy Shhhhh whoa." Jax stopped himself and grabbed Tig's shoulder turning him to face the group. "Seriously? 28 years? Dude, you hit on her!"

Shark looked down at Kristen who was watching the argument intensely and set his coffee down, quickly tucking Kristen further into his lap turning her away from the group. "I think it might be time for you to go home with Auntie Charlene. It's past your bed time munchkin."

"No, Uncle Shark I want to be here when baby brother gets born."

"Jax, drop it." Tig warned and Chibs ran a hand over his face. Chris kicked his boot looking towards him for an explanation but he just shook his head.

"Tig." Jax said forcefully.

"Jax." Tig replayed with a bit more attitude then was probably appropriate for his president.

Chris turned to Vin who simply shrugged his shoulders. "You knew?"

"Subtle hints and the glaring resemblance." Vin answered his president.

"You?" Chris asked Shark.

"The resemblance thing and Casper told me." Shark shrugged his shoulders as well and went back to distracting Kristen.

"Can I just go on record as saying eww?" Charlene raised her hand from the fringe of the group. "I mean, you like, seriously messed with her. Like eww…" Charlene leaned back in her chair looking a bit pale and Jax followed suit.

"You fought Casper for her." Tom Tom finally declared.

"I didn't fight Casper For Gabby. I fought him for….for getting between us." Tig defended himself weakly and the group went silent in thought.

Casper came around the corner with his coffee and sat down between Shark and Vin oblivious to the recently ended conversation. "You being good sweetie?" Casper asked of his daughter still sitting in Sharks lap. Kristen nodded her head putting Sharks rings back on his hand as quickly as she could; trying to figure out what fingers they each went on.

"Do I have to go home?" Kristen asked, slipping off Sharks lap and climbing into her fathers. "I want to be here when baby brother is born.

"It's already passed your bedtime sweetie. And mommy might not have the baby till the morning."

"But I can sleep here. I promise I will. I'll be good and I'll stay with Uncle Shark. I can sleep in his lap. He won't mind." Shark grinned over Kristen's head at Casper. It was common knowledge in Fresno that Kristen was abnormally attached to Shark. Gabby said it was because Shark was basically a younger version of Happy, with about half the tattoos. She said it must run in her blood to find that serious and scary exterior comforting.

The 2 brothers had a silent conversation over the now yawning 4 year old. "Alright sweetie, you can stay, but you have to sleep." She smiled and kissed his cheek before hopping off her father's lap and digging through her small book bag. She produced a well-worn stuffed bunny and crawled back up into Sharks lap.

"You sleeping with me munchkin?" Shark teased shifting to make room for her to lie down on his chest.

"Uh-huh and bunny." Jax grinned at him and Vin chuckled.

"Don't be jealous of my bunny." Shark shot back at his brothers which made more of them laugh.

* * *

"Hey love." Casper slipped back into the room and examined his wife. She had shifted to her side and Happy was rubbing her lower back. "How's it going in here?"

"Contractions are at 4 minutes. Waiting for the nurse to come back to see if I'm at 10." He nodded his head and kissed her forehead. Happy seemed to have no intention of leaving so he settled at her head and stroked her cheek.

"Sure you don't want an epidural?"

"Yeah babe. I can do this."

"I know you can, I just hate seeing you in so much pain when you don't have to be." She offered him a weak smile and grabbed his forearm as another contraction hit her.

"How are we doing in here?" A bubbly nurse came into the room and reached for a pair of gloves.

"Peachy." Gabby grounded out breathing through the rest of her contraction.

"Okay, let's get you on your back and see how much you're dilated shall we? Would the boys like to step out of the room?" Happy ran his hand up Gabby's back as he stood and kissed her.

"Gonna go check on Kristen."

"Okay dad, thanks." She smiled and then grabbed Casper tighter. "You leave me alone with this woman I will drive a scalpel up her nose."

"So specific." He teased her, repeating her constant tease of her father and helped her lay on her back.

Happy slipped back into the room a mere 10 minutes later. "Kristen is sound asleep on Shark. She's got bunny jammed up next to his face." Casper laughed at the picture Happy produced on his phone.

"They say anything to you out there?" Happy asked in a lower voice to his son in law.

"No, what's up?" Casper looked from him to his wife debating if he even cared about a club problem with his wife in labor.

"Nothing. Just, weird looks being exchanged." Happy settled back at his daughter's side. He hadn't missed the subtle looks between Tig Kristen and himself. No one had dared say anything more than asking about progress, but his gut told him something was going on.

* * *

He was perfect. 8 1/4 lbs., 22 inches long; he came out screaming bloody murder and Happy had never been prouder of his daughter. Casper cut the cord and the nurse cleaned baby Mathew up before laying him all wrapped up on his mother's chest. Gabby had tears streaming down her face, she was exhausted and overwhelmed. Casper didn't try to hide the tears escaping from his eyes either as he carefully stoked his sons back. Happy whipped his own few tears away. He had kicked himself over and over for not seeing Kristen's birth and this just made him regret it more.

"Dad?" She finally tore her eyes away from the infant and looked up at him.

"Yeah sweet heart?" He moved closer to the bed, having backed away to allow the parents their moment with their new son.

Gabby smiled and picked Mathew up, Casper sitting on the edge of the bed helping to support her. "You want to hold him?"

The question caught Happy completely off guard. He eyed the baby, and then Casper who nodded his head. It may have been Casper's son, but it wasn't his first born, and after everything his wife had just gone through he sure as hell wouldn't deny her indulging her father.

"Yeah…yeah okay." Happy picked the newborn up carefully and tucked him into the crook of his elbow gazing down at him. This is why he had transferred to Fresno, so he would never miss another moment like this. He smiled down at the baby and started swaying back and forth. Gabby and Casper smiled at each other. They both knew Happy didn't even know he was doing it. Happy had mellowed over the years. Since before Gabby got married she had noticed it. He was calmer, would stay in one place longer then he used to, even as a Nomad. When he transferred to Fresno he settled right into an apartment, a 2 bedroom apartment; skipping over the dorms completely. He had a pack and play and now a twin bed with princess sheets in his spare bedroom. He took Kristen overnight at least once a week.

Part of Gabby was thrilled by it. Happy was finally settling down as a family man. He took the good hearted ribbing from his brothers for knowing the names of every Disney princess on record and never tried to get out of changing dirty diapers. But there would always be a part of Gabby that envied her own children. She knew it was wrong and twisted but it was true. Gabby was a much better mother then Emily had been. Casper was the best father she could wish for kids, and she knew that now both her children would grow up with a huge extended family. Not just their grandfather but hundreds of uncles and eventually brothers.

It was the kind of life Gabby could only dream about as a child. She stared at her father holding her son and teared up again. It's every parents dream to give their kids what they didn't have growing up. Gabby had spent the last 10 years of her life trying to achieve that.

Happy looked up and saw his daughter had started crying again. He came closer and sat on the side of the bed and handed Mathew across her to Casper. He bent down and kissed her forehead whipping her tears away.

Gabby held on tightly to his hand and turned to Casper. "Take him out, show them. Bring Kristen back with you." Casper nodded and kissed his wife tenderly carefully taking the baby out of the room. Gabby lay back exhausted and looked at her father. "Do you ever regret not having kids?"

"I have a daughter. I have a son in law. I have 2 beautiful grandchildren. Blood doesn't mean anything to me Gabs."

"I love you." Gabby whispered sniffling. Happy smiled down at her and stroked her cheek.

"I love you too."

* * *

Casper slipped into the waiting room cradling his son carefully. More Fresno brothers had arrived and the waiting room was packed with black leather. Cheers erupted when the first men caught sight of Casper and the room buzzed with shouts and hushes, along with a fair amount of cooing that made even the women roll their eyes.

Chris pulled out a blue SOA hat and handed it to Jax. "Pretty sure you outrank me man." Jax grinned and nodded his head taking the hat from the Fresno president.

"Hey little man." He smiled down at the baby and slipped the hospital issued hat off his head and the SOA hat on. "Welcome to the family." A shout of cheers went up and Casper tucked his son further into his chest shaking his head at his brothers' antics.

"Shark?" Casper caught his best friend, "Where's Kristen?" Shark nodded slightly behind the group and Casper spotted her sound asleep on a bench, her head using bunny for a pillow. "Grab her; I want Gabby to see them meet." Shark nodded his head and smiled carefully picking up the sleeping girl.

The two brothers headed down the hall to Gabby's hospital room, each with a child in their arms. Casper entered first making sure his wife was decent before he let Shark in. "Hey love." He smiled at his wife and carefully set the baby in her arms. Shark ducked into the room next and smiled wide at Gabby.

"He's beautiful Gabby."

"Thank you, she's still asleep?"

"Yeah." Shark nodded his head and walked further into the room.

Happy slipped off the bed and came over to Shark. "Hey sweetie, time to wake up and meet your brother." He whispered in Kristen's ear and rubbed her back till she woke up.

Kristen lifted her head and rubbed her eyes with the hand not holding her precious stuffed animal. "Grandpa? Grandpa! Am I a big sister?" She was suddenly wide awake and squirming her way out of Sharks strong arms reaching out for Happy to take her.

"Yeah sweetie, come here." Happy took her from Shark and carried her over to sit next to her mother in the hospital bed.

"Mommy, that's him, that's baby Mathew?"

"Yeah sweetie, this is baby Mathew." The adults couldn't help but chuckle at her excitement.

"He's so small." Kristen ran a finger gently down his cheek. "Was I this small when I was born?"

Casper came over to the side of the bed Kristen was on. "Yeah sweetie, you were that small too, smaller actually." Kristen continued to stare at the baby for a few more minutes as the adults smirked. "Kristen, do you want to hold him?" Kristen turned to her father, her eyes growing even bigger and nodded her head emphatically.

Happy appeared next to Shark and guided him out of the room. He wasn't surprised to see Tig leaning against the wall opposite the door peering in. "She wouldn't kick you out if you wanted to go in and take a peak." Happy spoke in a hushed voice.

"Yeah…yeah I know. But, they're doing their family thing." Tig crossed his arms and continued to stare.

Shark patted Happy's shoulder before leaving to rejoin his brothers. Hap took up a post next to Tig holding up the wall.

"I have a grandson." Tig finally spoke again and Happy acknowledged it with a half nod. "I have a granddaughter that calls me uncle and a daughter that resents me." He stopped talking again and blinked a few times making sure he wouldn't cry.

"And a son in law that beat the shit out of you." Happy added.

Tig scoffed and shook his head. "You raised my kid Hap, that's your family in there. But I would really like to get to know them." Tig couldn't come right out and ask for permission, but stating his intentions was close enough to show his brother respect.

Happy nodded his head once again. He understood what Tig was doing. "She's a good kid brother. You push your way into her life I ain't gonna let you walk back out."

"I won't." Tig promised.

* * *

The End

* * *

_So that's it, the last chapter of The Reluctant Lion Heart. One shots will be posted probably once a week starting tomorrow (Wednesday) under the title Lion Heart. (Just to make it easy for all of you to find!)_

_And, great news! A SEQUEL! I'm working on the basics now and should start posting when I get through with the one shots. I will keep you updated on its progress in my A/N's and on twitter ( kiara8921). I don't have a title yet for the sequel but I will make it clear from the summary that it is related to this story, and again I will announce it here and on twitter._

_One last treat for you all. On twitter, yes again, kiara8921 I put up a picture of the real life Gabby. She is 3 ½ in the pic, almost 4 now. I waited till this story was over so that my description of her looking more like Tig would be in your head instead of what she actually looks like. Although her natural wavy black hear is what inspired the Tig part of the story. You don't have to have a twitter account to see the picture, if you Google: twitter kiara8921 it will be the first link to pop up._


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